The Amber Sword volume 2 - Chapter 150

Chapter 150 – Breaking Dawn (3)
The trampling sounds of horses’ hooves shook the cold air in the night.
The loud robes of the nobles’ cavalry fluttered about as they charged out from the corner of an alley. Their lances were lowered at the same time and pointed towards Brendel.
The earth trembled.
Brendel glared at them coldly, raised the silver card to the air before throwing it out in front of him.
[Unicorn Knight, Enter the Battlefield—]
The card flew down in an elegant arc and landed onto the ground.
White light poured forth as magic circles were drawn from the ground. Everyone saw an ethereal gate forming in the air before their very eyes. A female knight wielding a lance on top of a proud unicorn slowly cantered out from the gate and stood in the middle of the street.
[[[Summoner?!]]]
The enemy’s cavalry slowed down in astonishment, while the voices mercenaries behind Brendel rose to a clamor.
“My lord,” The Elven princess’s voice was almost a whisper: “Thank you.”
Brendel knew she was talking about the pendant. He shook his head: “I have already told you that you should thank your own Elven race.”
“The process isn’t quite as important, my lord. You were the reason why they acted on this. What are your orders for me this time?”
“Advance forward and attack.”
Alistair was confused. The spell that Brendel appeared to cast appeared to be similar to ‘Silver Knight’. It was certainly a higher level summon, but the ‘Silver Knight’ was better used as a defensive role instead of attacking.
The nobles’ cavalry had once again sped up and was merely a few feet away.
Alistair hurriedly started to prepare a defensive spell, but when his hands were up, he froze completely with his mouth wide open.
The female knight who was clad in silver had raised her lance to the sky. When she swung it, the distance between the approaching cavalry seemed to stretch further and further away.
Time and space were distorted. Soul Energy materialized in thin air, and it was clear it was a form of Element power.
“Seismic—”
“Blast!”
Her voice echoed in her helmet as she pierced through the cavalry’s formation in a flash of silver light. Her charge completely broke through the ranks and files, sweeping them up into the air.
Neither men nor beasts were spared.
[[[Gold-Ranked— There’s another one!]]]
The three commanders of the mercenaries and their men felt their breaths expelled out of their lungs. It was rare for them to see even one Gold-ranked fighter in this remote land, but they saw two today.
However, the greatest shock still came from the fact the youth himself was a Gold-ranked swordsman and summoned a Gold-ranked knight. Would that not mean he had two Gold-ranked classes?
The three commanders felt a chill on their back as they wondered who exactly the youth was. They were secretly glad to choose Brendel’s side. Graudin might have the power to put up wanted papers for their heads, but Brendel could easily take them down anytime with his own hands.
Cornelius’s blue eyes were filled with resolution. He clenched his teeth and drew out his longsword, pointing it to the front: “Members of the Rosewine Mercenaries, stand at attention! For our fallen comrades, to battle!”
“To battle!!!”
The mercenaries under the middle-aged commander assented and rush forward, went past Brendel and joined in the fray between Medissa and the enemy’s cavalry. The enemy was in disarray and was forced back to where they came from.
[This is only one point where the enemy is able to attack. Graudin’s men will keep on coming from other areas.]
Brendel thought as he turned to Cornelius who approached and bowed.
“My lord, the Rosewine Mercenaries will fight with you. We await your command and hope to have you lead us to victory.”
Brendel did not reply and smiled. Despite Cornelius’s polite manners from the start, there were slight traces of discontent in his eyes.
[I can understand why he’s not happy with me since I practically forced his arm. But since you chose to take my hand and walk on this bloody road, I shall have you continue on it without straying. There is no turning back.]
Brendel’s first move on the chessboard had been placed. The fight would begin now.
“Ser Cornelius.” He said.
“Yes, my lord?”
Brendel pointed to the inner gates of the city. “Let’s reach that spot first before we discuss our next step. We are in a particularly bad position, and I’m referring to our standing in Aouine. All outcomes are pointless if we do not take down Graudin.”
“Are you really going to kill him, my lord?” Cornelius felt his lips a little dry: “Graudin is a Feudal Baron and count Randner’s son. I think it’s sufficient…… to teach him a lesson…..”
Brendel glanced at him before shaking his head.
[Aouine’s divide between a noble and commoner is so strong that he is still unable to commit fully.]
“It’s not because I want to kill him. It’s because the laws demand his head, Ser Cornelius.” He said after a moment.
The silver-haired man looked stunned. He clenched his fists.
Jana watched the scene unfold before looking back at Raban: “That indecisive fool Cornelius, he looks like he’s about to commit fully. That’s rare.”
“Hmph,” The huge man threw his derisive gaze at him as well: “He’s just a fox.”
There was a low rumble of hooves from the distance, seemingly the reinforcements of Graudin’s men.
“Stay here, Raban. I’ll assist the lord, as for the west gate, leave it to me and my men.” A glint of danger came to her eyes.
“Why am I the one defending?” Raban took a moment to respond with furrowed brows: “The Firebrand Mercenaries are not weaker than any of you.”
“Oh, and you would fight with a weak woman like myself? I thought you were a knight in the past, shouldn’t you allow me to have the honors?”
Raban scoffed and ignored her by turning his body away. He lunged his greatsword onto the ground with a loud crack. He faced his mercenaries and ordered with a yell: “No undead is to be allowed in the city before the dawn breaks. Anyone who dares to retreat will get his balls busted by me!”
He raised his right fist.
And a wave of weapons raised with determination was their response.
Jana had her smile of victory spread across her face. But when she turned to face her own mercenaries, it was gone and replaced by a chilling expression.
“Men, come with me—” Her voice was like a cold blade.
Raban caught a glimpse of her out from the corners of his eyes. The etiquettes of a knight demanded them to prevent women and children from participating in a battle. He did not refuse her because Jana’s only sister was killed in the slaughter.
All the mercenaries had chosen to be silent on Graudin’s atrocities. Even though their hearts were filled with rage and hatred, they did not choose to walk the bloody path of revenge. But the youth had forced them to march on it and made them choose what was truly in their hearts.
[The dawn breaks only if the first ray of light comes. But where is the ray of light?]
Raban sighed as he cast his gaze on the starry sky.
If the battlefield was a large chessboard, then it was certainly an exciting exchange between Brendel and Graudin.
The nobles’ cavalry were not able to stop Brendel’s advance, but the rear army of crossbowmen quickly set themselves up in an attacking position. They were the core unit for fighting against the monsters at the borders. They wore heavy armor, wielded fortified heavy crossbows, and were well-trained with a good amount of experience behind them. All of them were Iron-ranked marksmen or higher.
[Arm your crossbows, take aim—- Fire!] Their commanding officer shouted.
A hail of black projectiles shot across from their crossbows and onto the frontmost mercenaries. The first line was instantly felled. Cornelius struck away the bolts fired at him with his sword. The death of his men made him pale in anger.
Brendel swung his right arm and his sword unleashed the White Raven Sword Arte and the violent tempest of wind knocked back the bolts onto the wall, protecting Alistair and Sifrid.
The second defense line made by the defending army was starting to deform. Two Silver-ranked knight commanders meted out orders one after another, but they discovered that they were facing against an abnormal Gold-Ranked fighter.
Before them was a true Elven knight.
The Elven princess had centuries of fighting techniques in her arsenal and her battle sense exceeded most men. Her indomitable charge penetrated the defense and met their commanders in combat. The two enemy knights raised their lances and thrust at her, but she skillfully avoided them and knocked them off their horses, before ending their lives with an accurate jab to their throats each.
The crossbowmen quickly realized the differences in the strength between their commanders and the heavily armored Elven knight. There were no obstacles blocking her anymore.
The lance in Medissa’s hands was raised again as she glared at them coldly—
It was a complete defeat for the defending army.