Under the Oak Tree

Chapter 338: Chapter 99

By midday, the night watch retired to their tents to rest, while those who had managed a few hours of sleep climbed the hill armed with spears and shields.

Standing in front of the newly erected infirmary, Maxi watched the army move in perfect synchrony to their commanders’ orders. Since much of the Arexian infantry had fallen during the last charge, it appeared that a portion of the Baltonian army had joined the central battalion to make up for the shortage.

The dark green banner of the Knights of Phil Aaron fluttered above the entrance. After gazing up at it, Maxi entered the infirmary, an uneasy feeling weighing on her stomach. It had been there all day ever since her unpleasant exchange with Richard Breston. Stirring a boiling pot over a brazier, she stewed over the man’s ominous prophecy.

The Seven Kingdoms could very well splinter once their common enemy was no more. If the peace agreement broke, war would erupt along the border of Wedon and Dristan, and there would be uprisings all over Roviden. Could the newly-elected pope protect the current order from power-hungry opportunists like Richard Breston?

Lost in thought, Maxi only looked up when someone whacked her shoulder. Anette stared back at her with a scowl.

“Where’s your head? You’re burning it!”

Maxi blinked before hastily scooping water from a pail and tossing it in the pot.

“You should rest,” Anette said, sighing. “The last thing we want is for you to burn the place down because you’re in a fog.”

“I-I’m sorry. 1 will pay more attention,” Maxi mumbled sullenly as she scraped her ladle against the herbs stuck to the pot’s rim.

She felt irritated at herself for letting Breston’s words get to her. Even if there was some truth to them, it was a scenario in the distant future. Why was she adding to her worries when they were already struggling with the problem at hand?

Driving out all thoughts of catastrophe, she forced herself to focus on tending to the wounded. There was no shortage of work after yesterday’s foolhardy attack had resulted in hundreds of injured.

Once the herbal tonic was ready, Maxi lowered the pot and summoned a few soldiers to the infirmary. She instructed them to administer the tonic to those who had fevers. Meanwhile, she moved on to changing all the blood and pus-soiled dressings. Though she wanted to heal all of them with magic, she had no option but to rely on other treatment methods.

Each dressing change was a mechanical process, wiping stitched-up wounds of discharge and redressing them with clean bandages. Her hands moved busily of their own accord until a strange commotion outside the tent leaked through the entrance.

Maxi went still. A shiver passed down her spine as she wondered what problem had reared its head now, but she was too terrified even to find out. After hesitating, she reluctantly stepped outside to find thousands of soldiers crowding the front. Rows of catapults stood on either side.

Maxi narrowed her eyes. Though the sight was nothing out of the ordinary, something did not feel right. She studied the tense faces of the soldiers and furrowed her brow when she noticed the black smoke rising above their heads. A smell more pungent than burning wood assaulted her nose.

Had the monsters attacked their camp in secret? She scowled, recalling the similar odor of burning monster carcasses. When she spotted Armin standing next to the catapults on the right, she immediately bolted over to him. “W-What is happening?”

“I’ve no idea,” Armin replied, his eyes clouded with confusion. “It can’t be good. The commander of the Temple Knights and that savage northerner had a long argument, then the soldiers were ordered to assemble. They say an all-out attack will begin soon.”

“A-An all-out attack?” Maxi parroted.

So far, the monsters had hunkered behind their walls during the day and only left their city at night to attack in stealth. How on earth was the coalition army to lure them out of their impregnable fortress? She grew uneasy, her heart pounding. Breston stood at the head of the unit arrayed on the hill. The air around them seemed thick with fraught anticipation.

After carefully observing the men, Maxi elbowed her way through the throng of soldiers as if compelled. Though she heard someone call her name from behind, her legs seemed to have a mind of their own.

She quickly crested the hill and stopped when she reached the cavalry stationed at the front. A gasp escaped her at the horrific sight; in the middle of the field stretched before them was a burning mountain of corpses. Maxi slapped a hand over her mouth as she retched, but she could not take her eyes off the dancing flames and dark smoke billowing from the hundreds of bodies.

She had been wrong to believe that nothing could ever shock her again. An urge to put an end to the atrocity made her rush forward. Just as she was about to intervene, someone grabbed her shoulder roughly, causing her to snap her head up. It was Kuahel Leon, staring down at her sternly.

“Return to the rear at once.”

“W-Why are you doing this?” Maxi asked, ignoring his command.

Without replying, the clergyman grabbed her arm and forcefully walked her behind the men.

Maxi yanked herself free, yelling, “H-How could a man of God allow such a thing?! I-I am aware… of how difficult it is to retrieve bodies, b-but should we not try our best? How could you just—”

“The dead are already dead.”

Maxi whipped her head toward the voice. Richard Breston sat atop his blue-gray warhorse, sipping wine from a flask.

He closed the lid and said flatly, “We can’t afford to waste the abilities of the clerics any longer, but if we do nothing about the corpses, they will either turn into undead monsters or become enemy fodder. Better for us to make use of them first, wouldn’t you agree?”

Maxi stared at him dumbly in shock.

Silhouetted against the light, his face looked fearsome as though shadowed behind a dark iron mask. His garnet eyes glinted as he added, “Humans are the most tempting prey for any monster. Those were your husband’s words. If he’s right, this is the best way to lure those creatures out.”

A strong gust fanned the pungent odor over the field as if on cue. Sickened, Maxi began to back away. The charred corpses were now shriveling. Rooted to the spot, she watched the appalling sight, her face ashen, until Ulyseon appeared at her side.

“My lady, you must return to the rear,” he said stiffly. “The battle is about to begin.”

Maxi followed the direction of his gaze to see the city gate slowly rising. With a triumphant laugh, Breston drew the sword strapped to his back. Kuahel Leon promptly mounted his horse and signaled the start of the battle as monsters began to flood out of the city.

“Now, my lady!” Ulyseon cried, drawing his sword.

Maxi whirled and raced down the hill. A chorus of battle cries went up as the coalition army charged. Fighting the urge to look back, she ran straight to the infirmary.

“Th-The attack has begun! We must h-hurry and set up the barriers!”

No sooner had the words left her mouth than the mages made a beeline for their designated posts. They summoned a double barrier in front of the rear unit, and archers and spearmen climbed atop it. It was a defensive measure in case the enemy managed to beat back the frontline.

Maxi followed them up the ladder. The vantage point offered a clear view of sixteen thousand men clashing with legions of trolls. Her whole body trembled in terror. Each swing of the green giants’ iron maces sent two or three men flying, rapidly splintering the coalition’s ranks. It was like watching a stampede of bulls. The horrifying sight seemed to dampen the army’s fighting spirit.

The trolls relentlessly pushed the central battalion back until the battle raged in the middle of the coalition army’s camp. Maxi’s breath caught in her throat, terrified that the monsters would break through their barriers at any moment. The human soldiers looked helpless up against their enemy’s frightening strength.

Suddenly, a chilling fear seized Maxi. Would she ever be able to see Riftan again? In the next moment, she realized that the tide of battle was not yet against them. The central battalion had intentionally retreated so the left and the right flanks could surround the enemy.

The tables turned quickly from there. The coalition army drove the monsters to the center and began their onslaught. When the catapults fired from the flanks, the monsters broke rank to avoid the hurtling rocks, and knights ruthlessly slaughtered them in the ensuing confusion. Maxi watched in astonishment until a dark shadow loomed overhead.

She looked up, her blood running cold. Dozens of wyverns blocked the gray sky. Maxi promptly cast a shield when she saw some clutching objects in their great talons. All at once, a barrage of rocks fell from the sky.

Though Maxi quickly tried to expand her shield, she was a step too late. The rocks rained down at frightening speeds, smashing half of the earthen wall and the tents pitched behind it.

“E-Everyone, beneath the shield!” Maxi yelled at the top of her lungs.

But her cry was smothered in the chaos of battle. People scattered in panic, some collapsing after being hit squarely on the head by falling debris. Maxi watched in overwhelming despair as their camp was torn apart.

Right then, a wyvern dove straight at her. Terrified, she squeezed her eyes shut. With her current mana, she did not think the shield would be able to withstand the blow.

A fierce gust blew overhead, and a sharp noise pierced her ears. Time seemed to stop. Flattened against the earth wall, Maxi braced for the impact.

When the wailing wind died out, she slowly opened her eyes just in time to see a wyvern snatch a troll into the air..

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