The Third Son of a Medieval Knight Family Chapter 95 - Knight of Ascension (30)

The speed of a unit composed almost entirely of cavalry was incomparable to before.

The vanguard had finally been able to reach near the battleground where the expeditionary force’s main army and the Grand Chief’s forces had clashed.

Compared to marching on foot, it was speed comparable to the wind itself, if you added a bit of exaggeration.

Moreover, though they had guides who knew the nearby terrain well, even so, it was an unbelievably accurate sense of direction.

“Huff… huff…”

“I told you to ride in the cart if you’re tired.”

“No, this is better… if I stay in there the whole time, I’ll just keep vomiting the entire way.”

Alisa refused to return to the cart even while constantly massaging her thighs, which were cramping uncontrollably, and her buttocks, which had already gone numb.

It was better to be on horseback even if she couldn’t ride well, rather than retching in that terribly shaking enclosed cart.

“Besides, carts weren’t made to go that fast in the first place. That’s just torture!”

At her words, Lukovich nodded.

“Well, but it can’t be helped. And at this pace, it’s more like walking fast than running.”

Indeed, they weren’t actually galloping their horses.

Though they were in a hurry, they couldn’t run madly while changing horses multiple times.

They had to pull carts loaded with supplies they’d brought, and no matter how abundant their horses were, they didn’t have enough for the entire unit to keep changing them.

Of course, even at the pace of horses walking a bit fast, the carts shook and jolted terribly due to their poor construction and the rough roads, so that couldn’t be helped.

Alisa pouted and began tapping her back again.

Her position in the vanguard wasn’t high enough to receive special consideration in the first place.

Though witches might be a position that received fear and respect in these lands, to the principality people, they were nothing more or less than beings to be overthrown.

Even now, after she had achieved merit on the battlefield and become somewhat familiar to people as Viktor’s slave, she was still subtly shunned.

‘Damn it, if not for that bastard, really…’

Actually, Alisa had achieved enough merit that it wouldn’t be strange if she received better treatment than this.

If not for her sorcery, the infantry would have clearly collapsed under the barbarians’ fierce assault.

Though her power had weakened at the end due to hastily prepared sacrifices, that had actually turned out well in the end.

Her sorcery’s power had run out at just the right time when the cavalry was about to reverse and charge in.

After the battle ended, Viktor had even come to find her specifically to praise her highly.

‘Originally I should have been praised much more… it wouldn’t have been strange to be respected more…!’

But that damn Sobol or whatever ruined everything.

He had diminished her achievements, saying her sorcery had greatly affected their own forces and that the formation itself had nearly collapsed!

Thanks to that, Alisa was now evaluated by the mercenaries as a mad witch who couldn’t distinguish friend from foe and tried to blast everyone with sorcery.

For her, it was maddening.

Just when she thought she might finally receive some respect, even more people began looking at her with more repulsive eyes than before.

Lukovich clicked his tongue looking at the grinding Alisa.

“There you go again. Even so, Lord Viktor acknowledges you. That should be enough.”

“I’m grateful for that! And I know my position isn’t one to demand much! But still, since I achieved some merit, wouldn’t it be okay to ask for a little more consideration?!”

“Then why don’t you go tell him directly? Instead of grumbling here like this.”

Alisa turned her head away, saying that would be scary.

“He might break my neck for being presumptuous…”

“Then what do you want… You’ve been watching from the side, so you should know by now. Lord Viktor isn’t that kind of person.”

Lukovich grumbled as if he couldn’t understand her fear, but Alisa found it appalling that Lukovich could speak so carelessly.

‘How can he act so nonchalant after watching all that from the side? Looking closely, this person isn’t normal either.’

A knight who single-handedly blew off the head of a monster called the Rock Demon Serpent, and led inexperienced cavalry who had barely gotten used to riding to smash the elite barbarians who had spent their lives on horseback.

Was that all?

She still got weak in the knees imagining that night when Viktor had led the knights to kill all of Bohdan’s warriors.

‘I never thought the knight who led that night’s attack would be so young. When I found out later, I was so shocked I couldn’t even eat properly…’

Viktor always spoke humbly, saying what he had done couldn’t have been accomplished alone, but to Alisa’s eyes, he only looked like a large predator hiding its claws while feigning innocence.

And Lukovich looked like a rabbit calmly grazing in front of that predator.

“Hey, what are you all doing? Why do you all look so glum? Haha, they say we’re almost there, so cheer up!”

‘And that bastard is like a day-old puppy playfully frolicking without knowing any better.’

Looking at Tumen approaching with a lively face, Alisa grimaced.

She wanted to thoroughly beat up her past self who had unconsciously thought he seemed reliable when she first met him in prison.

“What’s so good that you’re always grinning? You must be thrilled to death?”

Even at Alisa’s sharp words, Tumen just laughed it off.

“How did you know? Does it show? Ah, I wish it could always be like these days. Lord Viktor has acknowledged the steppe warriors too, and we can ride horses like this and crack the heads of bastards who won’t listen.”

“Tsk.”

As Alisa clicked her tongue as if she hated seeing that sight, Tumen continued talking while grinning broadly.

“Most of all, Lord Viktor acknowledging my merit is the biggest thing. Haha, Tumen, third son of the Grand Chief! Your strength is desperately needed to persuade the steppe warriors going forward. Can you help me? Kiyaah!”

Lukovich sent a warning to Tumen, who was imitating Viktor while laughing frivolously.

“Keep it moderate. Don’t get in trouble again for fooling around because you’re in a good mood.”

“Hahaha, sorry. Hey, Alisa. Cheer up a bit. Are you still sulking?”

“…”

“Are you really going to be like that? The tribe guys I know keep begging me to introduce them to the capable witch in our camp, so I was thinking of setting something up…”

Alisa’s ears perked up.

“…Really?”

“Of course. Hey, honestly, the principality people don’t really know how amazing witches are. Now that there are many steppe people in our unit too, more and more people will be looking for you.”

At Tumen’s coaxing words, Alisa’s face visibly brightened.

“…Ahem, ahem. Well, if there are people who need me, I have no choice… well, it wouldn’t be bad to visit once.”

At her words, Tumen grinned.

Lukovich watching this couldn’t help but admire.

‘What a smooth bastard. He really is different from the other barbarians. Is it because he’s a young master?’

Just as he was about to say more while looking at the barbarian youth who sometimes spoke more eloquently than himself, a traveling merchant.

Buuuu-

At the trumpet sound coming from ahead, the three people’s faces instantly hardened.

“This is…!”

“Enemies!”

Tumen and Lukovich quickly spurred their horses and rushed forward, while Alisa carefully guided her horse toward the cart where she had been.

Now she had to wait here obediently until the situation calmed down, or until she was summoned when the witch’s power was needed, and perform her assigned duties.

Alisa carefully peered into the rattling cart.

She could see a woman who had somehow managed to fall into a faint-like sleep even inside there.

“…Why do I have to do this kind of work too… tsk.”

She was in a drugged sleep from a mixture of licorice, valerian, and cormorant blood, but she would surely rampage again when she woke up.

Alisa sighed and raised her head again, having been saddled with even the barbarian beastwoman just because they were both women.

With continuous noise coming from the front, they had clearly encountered proper enemies at last.

She closed her eyes while preparing to build a makeshift altar, not knowing if her turn to use her power might come.

A faint smell of blood was carried on the wind.

---

“What’s the situation?”

At Viktor’s words, a barbarian warrior bowed and answered.

“There’s a group being chased. From their appearance, they look like principality mercenaries, and they’re clearly being hunted.”

They were still some distance from the place where the two forces were said to have clashed.

But since considerable time had passed, encountering enemies in this area wasn’t entirely unexpected.

Viktor calmly nodded and picked up his helmet to put on his head.

“Sir, will you step forward yourself?”

“I want to observe the situation. I’m also curious to see how strong the Grand Chief’s warriors are.”

Answering Mikhail’s question concisely, Viktor spurred his horse forward.

He looked at the mercenaries and barbarian warriors who had already formed ranks and smiled slightly.

Though they were still clustered among themselves, he was sufficiently satisfied just with their quick response.

Viktor looked at the old wolf standing slightly ahead of the others and spoke.

“Kulak, our first real battle together.”

“I won’t disappoint you.”

The aura of a seasoned warrior emanated strongly from his concise answer.

Viktor didn’t say anything more and took Podaga to the front of the group.

“As you all heard, remnants of the main force are being chased. We’ll subdue the enemies and question each side about their circumstances.”

Viktor continued while drawing his axe.

“Be careful when dealing with the defeated soldiers until we can clearly distinguish friend from foe. They might have turned to banditry or be deserters. This is our first real battle together. Move as promised. I expect good performance.”

Both mercenaries and warriors shouted with blazing eyes.

Watching this, Viktor soon shouted in a low but clear voice.

“Charge! Charge!”

“Waaaaaah!”

“Uryaaaaaaah!”

War cries and howling mixed together as part of the vanguard finally set foot on the battlefield.

---

“Huff… huff…!”

Neighhhh!

The man kept whipping and shaking the reins.

Fortunately, since it was hilly terrain rather than plains, he could hide his body, but he didn’t know when pursuers might appear.

“Damn armor!”

It had felt so reliable when wearing it, but when it came time to flee, it was only heavy and cumbersome.

He cursed and threw off another layer of armor to the ground.

The sight was quite unseemly, but the man had no mental capacity left to think about such things.

“Demon-like bastards… demon-like bastards!”

What filled the man’s head was the image of barbarians with cruel smiles surrounding the unit.

And the terrible sight of those who had died horribly.

Snort! Neighhhh!

“Aaaaah!”

The man rolled on the ground just like that.

The horse, which had been panting and foaming at the mouth, had finally collapsed from exhaustion.

Since he had thrown off most of the heavy armor he was wearing, the impact wasn’t as great as expected, but even so, the man couldn’t easily get up.

“Ugh… quickly… I have to run quickly…”

Even while watching his beloved horse struggling on the ground, the man paid no heed.

He couldn’t die in a place like this.

He had run all the way here seeking glory and honor, not to be captured by barbarians who knew nothing of customs and end his life miserably through torture.

It was when he barely managed to use the sword he was holding as a lever to get up.

Swish!

“Aaagghh!”

When an arrow flew and embedded in his exposed shoulder, the man screamed.

Along with it, a group revealed themselves on horseback.

“Is this all you managed after all that running?”

“Hehe, even a principality knight lord isn’t much, eh?”

They were barbarian warriors grinning and laughing cruelly.

The man tried to endure the pain in his shoulder, which had no strength, and struggled to hold his sword with his other hand.

“Don’t come closer, you beasts!”

However, such a sight only earned mockery from the warriors.

“Keep babbling. I don’t know what you can do with that arm, but haha!”

“Next time I’ll stick an arrow in your leg. No, we could just capture you and use you as a training target for arrows.”

“Y-you lowly trash!”

The man was furious at their attitude of completely treating him as prey, but there was nothing he could do.

The warriors approached spouting all sorts of insults and brandishing weapons, but he could only glare without even the energy to swing his sword.

“Cut off that bastard’s arm first!”

Just when one warrior spurred his horse and swung his sword.

Thwack-!

A javelin that flew from somewhere not only pierced through the barbarian warrior’s head but pulled out his neck entirely before embedding in the ground.

“Sh-shit, what is it!”

Even as blood spurted out and soaked his body, the man couldn’t dare move.

When the warriors panicked and looked around warily, a group appeared behind them.

“Isn’t that one flying away?”

“It’s fine. It’s solid.”

“…Ah, I see.”

“Who are you!”

The warriors were shocked seeing those who had appeared.

Steppe warriors wearing clothing unmistakably similar to their own, and a principality knight standing at their front as if leading them.

It was a combination that was truly hard to imagine and bizarre beyond measure.

“You bastards… what tribe are you from? What the hell are you doing!”

“This won’t end nicely. How dare you ignore the Grand Chief’s orders and cause trouble on your own?”

The warriors growled, but Viktor paid no heed and calmly gave orders.

“Leave only two alive. Handle it as you see fit.”

“Yes!”

“Those bastards are listening to a knight’s orders?”

“What, what… what is this now…”

To the warriors who were stuttering as their thoughts couldn’t keep up, Viktor’s subordinates charged savagely while shouting.

“Ask your ancestors about the details!”

“These are the Grand Chief’s remnants who’ve been acting arrogant all this time. Kill them all!”

“Aaagh!”

The confused barbarian warriors began to be subdued in an instant.

While the man trembled watching this incomprehensible sight, Viktor calmly approached and spoke to him.

“Let me wipe your face for a moment.”

“…Wh-who are you!”

The man frantically backed away shouting.

Viktor tilted his head for a moment then spoke again.

“Your voice sounds familiar… let me see your face.”

“Get away! Don’t come near me, ahhh!”

Before he could react, Viktor quickly approached, grabbed his arm, and mercilessly wiped his face, making the man scream in agony.

“Oh, I thought I’d seen this face somewhere… isn’t this Sir Uliya?”

“Ahhh, let go, let go… huh?”

“You’re hurt in the arm. Sorry. Don’t you recognize me?”

“…Could it be, Sir Viktor?”

The man, Uliya, clutched his arm and examined Viktor’s face closely before his eyes widened.

“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”

At Viktor’s nonchalant words, tears began to well up in Uliya’s eyes.

“Huuuung… Sir Viktor! The knight sent by God, Sir Viktor!”

“Yes, yes. Ah, don’t cling to me.”

A knight of Viscount Odor and a noble who had served as an envoy before entering Radovitz Castle.

Having reunited with Viktor after a long time, he collapsed on the ground sobbing.