She suddenly changed her expression and spoke jokingly.
“So, I’ve thought about this and that. ‘Which opponent would you have the most fun with?’ So ― I brought the best opponent for all of you, who had so much trouble with those goblins.”
She raised her hand and went “ta-da”. Suddenly, multiple shadows burst out from her shadow, cutting their way out of empty space.
“Here are the Redcaps mercenaries I summoned!”
They numbered thirty.
They were evil and twisted looking goblins that resembled the ones he had seen before.
They all wore pointed red hats and steel boots. In their hands were axes that seemed to give off a blue glow in the moonlight.
“Enemy attack! What are you doing! Wake up! To arms! The enemy’s here!”
The soldiers awoke from sleep at Barbro’s shouts and saw the enemy under the almost blindingly bright moonlight.
“…Level 43. It’s kind of overkill, but there weren’t any lower level goblins in the library.”
Screams erupted.
Since they were soldiers who had just been through a hellish battle against goblin soldiers, they did not have the heart to fight against goblins again.
They ran in a disorganized fashion without even trying to put up a fight.
“Don’t run! Fight! Fight! Stand and fight! Protect me right this instant!”
There was nobody who listened to Barbro. Even the nobles ran for their horses.
“Ahhahaha! This is a masterpiece! To think you can actually get away in a wide open plain like this!
Ah~ this is too funny! It’s the best! I love it so much!”
Lupusregina’s mocking voice was something Barbro knew only too well.
There was only one way to survive. That was to kill the enemy.
“You think you can make it if you’re on a horse… I guess there’s morons who think like that. Can you cut off those idiots’ legs for me?”
The Redcaps ran out, cheering in anticipation of the impending slaughter.
They were like wild beasts.
They slid in between through the scattered men trying to run away.
And then… a scream echoed through the air.
It was one of the nobles trying to escape on horseback.
The screams continued.
“Well, I guess I won’t have much time to enjoy myself since there’s not that many of them left over… But I guess it can’t be helped. I’ll try to make best of it, and enjoy myself as much as possible. I might not have abilities like Sol-chan, but I’ll show you that I’m not too bad either.”
Lupusregina walked over to Barbro, who had drawn his sword. She took comfortable steps as if she had just come out for a stroll.
But the smile that emerged like a fissure on her beautiful face made Barbro shiver.
It was only after thirty minutes that Barbro was finally permitted to embrace the sweet release of death.
Translator: Nigel
Editors: Ferro, Zack Tan, M, Namorax
The two armies formed their battle lines along the gentle slopes on the crimson plains, staring each other down.
The awe-inspiring army of the Kingdom was 245'000 men strong, divided into a left wing of 70'000
men, a right wing of 70'000 men, and a central column of 105'000 men, spread throughout the topography of three hills into their battle formation. However, this was not so much a disciplined formation, but more like brutality in the form of overwhelming numbers.
The foremost five ranks of infantry carried two-handed pikes, each one easily over six meters long, and had positioned themselves into a spear line.
Their job was to serve as a spiked wall for the rest of the army, in order to counter the heavy cavalry that comprised the core of the Empire’s fighting strength. They did not use anti-cavalry palisades for a simple reason; protecting that many people would require far too much wood. In contrast, the skillful deployment and use of ranked pikes would be more effective.
Although this formation was quite solid and presented many problems for any attackers, it had its weaknesses as well.
Since the formation was dense and the weapons carried were very heavy, it was all they could do just to stay in place and prevent enemy charges. As such, they lacked the ability to react quickly to enemy maneuvers, and if the Empire used bowmen or magic, their losses would be heavy.
Then again, not much more was expected from mere peasants. All that was required was that they deflect the first charge of the enemy.
On the other side, the Empire had 60'000 men.
Their numbers were vastly inferior to those of the Kingdom.
However, the Imperial knights were relaxed, without so much as a hint of fear. They did not feel they would lose at all.
This confidence was born from knowing their own personal strength.
Even so, it was a fact that there was a vast disparity in the military power of both sides. Although it would not be a problem if they could fight forever without fatigue, that was not possible for humans.
Once they got tired, even a gap in individual ability could be closed easily.
The Kingdom also had one more advantage, and it was a massive one.
That was the value of an individual life.
Most of the Kingdom’s troops were composed of peasant levies. In contrast, the Empire fielded professional soldiers called knights. There was a huge difference in the time and money taken to train a peasant ―who was considered battle-ready if they could pick up a weapon and follow orders― and what was needed to produce a knight. Every loss by the Empire was more keenly felt than a similar loss by the Kingdom. The Empire simply could not afford to squander their knights in foolish offensives or wars of attrition.
With that in mind, an open field battle of attrition between the Empire and the Kingdom would be to the Kingdom’s advantage.
Because of this, the wars fought between the Empire and the Kingdom had typically been minor skirmishes.
The Empire’s objective would be accomplished simply by pulling the Kingdom’s serfs onto the battlefield. There was no need to waste the lives of nobles or skilled soldiers, and the Kingdom knew this as well.
This scripted pageantry was what passed for war between the Empire and the Kingdom.
Even if that magic caster called Ainz Ooal Gown took part, it would still end in a minor skirmish.
That was what most of the Kingdom’s nobles thought. After all, the Empire’s knights were not just a military force, but a police force as well. Needless losses to them would threaten the Empire’s stability.
And so, the nobles awaited the Empire’s next move.
By tradition, the Imperial forces would parade before the Kingdom’s troops, and then fall back. The Kingdom would then sound a victory cry.