The Immortal Genius Spearman
Chapter 130

Chapter 130

“Hyah! Hyah!”

As Damian rode his horse through the lands of the Kingdom of Spanian, his gaze remained fixed ahead.

‘Something… doesn’t feel right.’

The Empire’s army stationed along the northern border of the Kingdom of Spanian, along with the Aura Master advancing toward the Kingdom of Tirkan… Despite operating two armies, only one had moved.

‘They must be plotting something.’

Damian’s eyes narrowed as he rode.

He had a vague memory of the Empire using a similar tactic in the past. While the Empire appeared to crush its enemies with brute strength, there were always intricate details hidden beneath the surface.

‘They said the one strategizing for the Empire is a monster.’

With ridiculous tactical foresight, this person could sever their opponent’s limbs entirely, manipulating the battlefield to their advantage. Combined with the Empire’s sheer size, they wielded overwhelming power.

“If that same strategist is involved in this operation…”

Damian continued to think and analyze.

If he could better understand their movements, things would be easier, but the information available to him was scarce at best.

So, he pushed his horse to run faster.

His growing sense of unease weighed heavily on his chest.

As he neared Sragan, he thought of his comrades.

‘Please, let nothing happen before I arrive.’

Damian galloped across the plains, urging his horse onward.

* * *

Bwooooooo!

The sound of horns blared, and soldiers began to move frantically.

“Rear left! The Empire’s army has appeared!”

“Who’s leading the army? No, more importantly, how is the Empire’s army even here?!”

Diorant, commander of the 6th Corps reinforcements, couldn’t hide his shock at the sudden appearance of the Empire’s forces from the rear.

The timing of their appearance was eerie, as if they had materialized out of thin air. And then…

“The black serpent emblem?”

Upon spotting the enemy’s banner, Diorant’s eyes widened in disbelief.

The emblem of three snakes coiled around a sword belonged to only one leader.

Aura Master Galveron Maxkov…!

“Damn it! He was supposed to be attacking the Kingdom of Tirkan—why is he here?”

There was no time to dwell on it.

If Galveron had brought his forces here from Tirkan, that meant…

‘The enemy’s numbers must be at least 2,000 to 3,000.’

Their own reinforcements totaled only 7,000.

While they held a numerical advantage, that meant little with an Aura Master on the opposing side. Wherever he passed, hell would follow.

“Form defensive lines immediately! Once they charge in, we’ll encircle them!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Archers, to the front! Shields up! We need to slow their advance!”

“Understood!”

Bwooo! Bwooo! Bwoooooo!

The horns signaling the formation rang out, and soldiers rushed to take their positions.

Some were seasoned veterans, while others were facing battle for the first time. But regardless of experience, they all understood the severity of the situation.

“Move quickly! They’re coming!”

“An Aura Master? What kind of hell is this?!”

The mere mention of Aura Master Galveron Maxkov was enough to strike terror into the soldiers’ hearts.

On top of that…

‘The terrain isn’t favorable.’

As Dianal joined the preparations, he watched Galveron’s army approach from a distance.

‘Two thousand… no, three thousand?’

While he couldn’t make out their exact numbers, it seemed to be around 3,000 soldiers.

And if that was indeed Galveron’s army…

‘Even with 7,000 soldiers, it won’t be easy to hold them off.’

Especially in an open plain like this.

Reducing the enemy’s numbers with archers before they arrived was crucial.

However…

‘I’ll follow orders for now.’

Though they were an independent unit, they were moving with the 2nd Division of the 6th Corps. There would be further orders soon.

Remaining calm, Dianal passed down the command to his subordinates, waiting for the situation to unfold.

At the same time…

“Hmm… they’re moving quickly.”

Watching the Baroque Kingdom’s army swiftly shift into a defensive formation, Galveron couldn’t help but feel a bit impressed.

But that changed nothing.

Their numbers amounted to just 7,000 or 8,000 at most—barely twice his own forces.

“Unless an Aura Master from the Baroque Kingdom arrives, there’s no way they’ll leave this place alive.”

There was nowhere for them to escape.

The plains stretched in every direction with no cover in sight.

Even the nearest city, Sragan, was a two-day journey away at the fastest. By the time reinforcements could arrive, it would be too late.

“The crows will feast well today.”

This was nothing like the battle in the Kingdom of Tirkan.

Galveron turned to his lieutenant and gave the order.

“Send in the cavalry. Make sure none of them escape.”

“Will you be leading them yourself, sir?”

“Of course,” Galveron replied, as if it were the most natural thing.

His cavalry was the strongest attack force in his unit, and the majority of its strength came from Galveron himself at the front.

“Prepare them.”

“Understood!”

Galveron turned his horse and began to advance.

Clop, clop, clop.

The rhythmic sound of hooves filled the air as his cavalry lined up behind him, ready to charge.

Although there were only three hundred of them, the strength of these three hundred cavalry was incomparable to mere numbers.

Clang!

The cavalrymen lowered the visors of their helmets and raised their lances.

The long, straight lances were perfect for piercing, and at the head of the charge, only Galveron drew his sword.

“Hehehe, shall we begin?”

A slightly mischievous laugh.

But once he led the charge, that laugh might as well have been the sound of a gatekeeper from hell.

“Charge!”

Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!

Kicking up clouds of dust, the cavalry surged forward, their fierce momentum spreading like a crimson aura in all directions.

* * *

“What?!”

Bang!

Kiaran leapt up from her seat, disbelief written across his face as he shouted.

What was this absurd news?

“Galveron? How could that bastard be there?!”

It made no sense.

The man who had been advancing on the capital of the Tirkan Kingdom was now suddenly in the Kingdom of Spanian?

And worse, targeting the rear of the reinforcements?

‘Did they anticipate we would send support troops from the beginning?’

Kiaran’s face twisted in anger and frustration.

They had fallen perfectly into the enemy’s trap, and there was no time left to come up with alternative plans.

“Can we contact Sragan via the magic communication device? If they send reinforcements, they could reach our troops quickly, right?”

“Even if Sragan dispatched soldiers now, they’d be too late. It would take at least two days to reach them.”

“Why the hell is Galveron even there?!”

Kiaran shouted, but Edmund hesitated before responding.

“…Kiaran, sir. This is purely speculation after the fact, but…”

“Speak.”

“If the Empire had predicted that we would send reinforcements the moment their northern army moved, this scenario is plausible.”

In other words, if Galveron had timed his departure to intercept the reinforcements.

“So you’re saying this whole operation was planned from the start?”

“Judging by the results, that’s a reasonable assumption. But who could have devised such a strategy…?”

This wasn’t just about strategic brilliance. To pull off a plan like this, you’d need comprehensive knowledge of how the enemy’s forces moved and a deep understanding of their psychology.

Even setting that aside…

“Send reinforcements immediately. Dispatch the cavalry so they can move as quickly as possible.”

If they didn’t, the entire 2nd and 5th Divisions sent to assist could be annihilated.

Edmund’s face darkened. Reinforcements could be sent, but it wouldn’t change much.

Even if the cavalry rode day and night without stopping, it would still take over a day to reach the battlefield.

Still, they couldn’t just stand by and do nothing, so Edmund hurriedly dashed out of the office.

They needed to send out the cavalry as quickly as possible.

But just then…

“Commander!”

A soldier came sprinting in, shouting at Kiaran in a panicked voice, too frantic to even offer a proper salute.

“What is it?” Kiaran asked, turning toward him.

The soldier swallowed hard before delivering his message.

“There’s a report that allied forces are already moving toward the reinforcements!”

“…?!”

Kiaran’s eyes widened in shock.

They had only just learned of the situation through the magic communication device, yet there were already allied forces moving to aid their troops?

“Who is leading them? Who is the commander?”

Kiaran shouted. The soldier, nervously swallowing again, answered.

“That would be…”

Upon hearing the soldier’s response, Kiaran’s fist clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white.

* * *

Boom!

Was this what they meant by a bolt from the blue?

Diorant and the officers stood in disbelief, watching as a massive black serpent of aura trampled the lead shield bearers.

“Is… is that aura?”

“We have to retreat! There’s no way we can face that!”

It was a power beyond human capabilities.

A divine force wielded only by a select few—Aura Masters.

And when that power descended before them, thousands of soldiers fell to their knees in helplessness.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

With a single swing of his sword, Galveron unleashed a massive black serpent-shaped aura that swept through the battlefield, killing over a hundred soldiers instantly.

Through the gaping hole left by the aura, Galveron’s cavalry charged forward like a giant ballista, their momentum so intense that it seemed as if the entire army would be split in half.

But at that moment…

“Order the second line to retreat and instruct the archers to fire at the rear!”

“But if we do that, we’ll hit our own men in the first line!”

“Tell them to aim as precisely as possible! Right now, our priority is to slow them down!”

If they kept pushing forward at this speed, the second line would be wiped out in no time.

There was a considerable gap between the first and second lines, allowing for a brief moment to react, but even that was fleeting.

As Diorant gave his orders, his lieutenant bit his lip in frustration.

Bwooo! Bwoooo! Bwooooo!

The signal for the archers to fire echoed across the battlefield, and the rear archer division launched a volley of arrows toward Galveron’s cavalry.

Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!

Over five hundred arrows soared into the sky simultaneously, and Galveron’s eyes gleamed.

“They’re willing to kill their own men to stop us.”

How foolish.

With a commander like this, these reinforcements posed no real threat, even if they managed to arrive.

“I’ll bury them all here.”

Galveron raised his sword, channeling his aura into it as he swung.

Whoom!

With a swift motion, a barrier formed around him, deflecting the incoming arrows.

“Pick up speed!”

“Yes, sir!”

Riding the wave of momentum, Galveron spurred his cavalry on, increasing their pace.

Diorant watched in horror, shrinking back in the face of the overwhelming assault.

But then…

“Commander Diorant!”

“…?”

Charging with incredible speed alongside Galveron’s cavalry was another unit.

It was the Caion Unit.