The Indomitable Martial King

[ Chapter 126 ]

“Fortunately, Kadamyte can face Tetsvalt.”

Watching the two fiercely battling in the middle of the battlefield, Repenhardt sighed in relief.

Repenhardt had also heard of Tetsvalt, the strongest knight of Crovence, in his previous life. Although Tetsvalt had died of old age by the time Repenhardt established the Antares Empire, he was well aware of Tetsvalt’s prowess in his prime.

While he acknowledged Kadamyte as a powerful Aura User, he wasn’t entirely sure if he could stand against Tetsvalt…

‘At least it seems he won’t lose.’

For now, he was relieved. Repenhardt turned his gaze to another part of the battlefield. Although Kadamyte was holding off Tetsvalt well, the overall battle situation wasn’t promising.

Thanks to the valiant efforts of the three dwarf Aura Users, the formation had not yet collapsed. The elves were also fighting well with their powerful spirit magic. There had been no significant casualties on their side so far. Most of the increasing number of corpses were from the Sinai Fortress garrison.

Even so, the enemy’s numbers remained overwhelming.

Hundreds had fallen, but nearly three hundred knights and over a thousand soldiers still pressed on. The fortress troops advanced relentlessly like a surging tide, making it dizzying to watch. The dwarf-elf allied forces were holding the line like a sturdy dam against the current, but signs of fatigue were becoming evident.

Russ gripped his sword hilt and clenched his teeth.

“Hyung! Even with the situation like this, do we still have to stay here?”

Russ was waiting in the main camp with Repenhardt because Repenhardt hadn’t permitted him to participate in this battle.

-This war is to make the world aware of the strength and existence of the non-human races. Neither you nor I should intervene. We can fight together after winning here, but for now, it is crucial for them, the non-human races, to secure victory on their own for it to hold any significance.

It was a reasonable explanation, and Russ had agreed, but seeing the old knight exuding that deep blue Aura made him feel regretful. His dream was to gain fame as a warrior and return proudly to the Tenes family. Watching Tetsvalt, a renowned Aura User from the Crovence Kingdom, presented a perfect opportunity to gain such fame, and merely observing from the sidelines made him impatient.

Feeling sorry, Repenhardt consoled Russ.

“Just endure this time. I’ll let you fight to your heart’s content next time.”

“I understand that, but… if we lose this battle, it won’t mean anything, will it?”

“Ugh, that’s true.”

Once the dam breaks, that vast army will become a torrent and overwhelm the dwarf-elf allied forces. If that happens, the outnumbered allies will be slaughtered. Before it comes to that, they needed to break the enemy’s momentum and turn the tide…

Repenhardt bit his lip and grumbled.

“Why on earth are they taking so long?”

Just as Repenhardt was growing more anxious, he saw a Direwolf galloping bravely over the ridge where the main camp was located. The rider, a sturdy orc with green skin, was shouting while brandishing a greatsword.

“Benefactor! My brothers and sisters have arrived!”

Behind him, about a hundred orcs on Direwolves were charging forward with terrifying momentum. These were the orc warriors of the Blue Bear Tribe, led by Kalken and Stalla. They had finally arrived.

“You’re late!”

Repenhardt shouted with a mix of joy and frustration. Kalken drew his greatsword and laughed heartily.

“Apologies, brother! It took a while to avoid the humans’ eyes!”

At this, Repenhardt smacked his forehead.

‘Ugh, I didn’t consider that.’

Before the battle, he had anticipated that the Sinai Fortress troops would use reconnaissance spells to scout the surroundings. He had positioned the orcs in a distant forest and asked them to rush in at the right moment. However, the orcs had taken a roundabout route to avoid detection, causing the delay.

‘That was a mistake. I should have planned their route with that in mind…’

Repenhardt knocked himself on the head in self-reproach. It was a mistake his past self would never have made. This brain of Teslon’s was a problem, leaving gaps even when things were going well. Despite Elucion’s voice enhancing his capabilities, there still seemed to be shortcomings.

‘Ugh, changing bodies inevitably comes with side effects. I just have to live with it.’

The Direwolves carrying the orcs kicked up dust as they passed Repenhardt’s camp. At the forefront, Stalla raised her fist and shouted in Orcish.

“Let’s go! Warriors of the Blue Spirit!”

“Kraaaah!”

The orcs charged into the heart of the battlefield, urging their Direwolves forward with war cries. Their shouts soon transformed into a song. The orc war song, meant to rouse their fighting spirits, echoed across the battlefield sky.

The blade of the warrior tears the sky!

The axe of the hero splits the earth!

We are the great warriors of the Blue Spirit!

Our hot blood leads us to victory!

Raise your swords! Swing your axes! Split the heads of the approaching enemies!

Fight until your heart bursts!

Fight until your heart bursts!

The spirit of the warrior will bless us!

* * *

The orc warriors, capitalizing on the mobility of their Direwolves, quickly raced over the ridge and charged into the battlefield. The beast-mounted, fearsome-looking orcs pierced through the flanks of the fortress troops like a spear.

“Aaargh!”

“Orcs!”

“Where did such orcs come from?”

“Monsters! More monsters have appeared!”

The sight of them made the soldiers scream in panic. As the charging orcs opened their mouths and roared in unison, the primeval howls, akin to the cries of wild beasts, swept over the Sinai Fortress troops. This was the orcs’ unique method, the roar of intimidation.

Like Spirits Weapon, the orcs had a taming technique that involved imprinting their will onto their beasts (though the orcs themselves simply believed they bonded with the beasts through persistent effort). This roar was an application of that technique.

It’s easier to project residual will onto a living being that shares the same kind of will. It’s akin to how it’s easier to hypnotize a person than to imbue a rock with a lingering spirit. Imbuing weapons with will took a long time, but taming a beast took only a few days, and when dealing with people, this kind of instantaneous effect was possible.

The willpower contained in the orcs’ shouts momentarily shattered the soldiers’ mental state. Already disoriented by the sudden ambush, their spirits were broken in an instant, causing the frontline to collapse. The precarious balance that had been maintained was destroyed.

“Aaah!”

“Help!”

The soldiers began to scream in terror. The formation collapsed in seconds, and deserters started to appear. The knights shouted continuously, trying to restore their plummeting morale.

“Damn it! Get a hold of yourselves! They’re just beasts!”

Of course, it had no effect. The knights’ morale was already at rock bottom. The orcs that appeared were all wielding massive, terrifying weapons. Even the well-trained knights were intimidated by their size.

One knight muttered in a daze.

“Why in the world do they need to make their weapons so big?”

It was completely contrary to martial common sense. Yet, the orcs swung those massive weapons naturally, slaughtering the Sinai Fortress troops.

Repenhardt watched the knights in astonishment and smiled faintly.

“Surprising, isn’t it? In this era, humans don’t even have basic information, let alone the tactics of non-human races.”

There are five intelligent races on the continent.

Their martial arts appear similar but have distinct differences.

Elves prefer light and sharp weapons. Their innate quick and precise movements are reflected in their swordsmanship, making such weapons the most suitable for them.

Dwarves consider long weapons to be the best. Due to their shorter stature compared to other races, they developed martial arts that emphasize long-range weapons to overcome their disadvantage in reach.

Trolls dislike weapons crafted by human hands. Troll shamans, or Gurus, who harness the power of nature, can only wield their magic effectively with unrefined weapons. Thus, they often use crude stone axes, bone knives, or wooden clubs.

Orcs, on the other hand, believe that the bigger and more magnificent the weapon, the better. Their racial secret, Spirits Weapon, tends to be more powerful the larger the weapon is.

Humans, in contrast, don’t have a standardized weapon type due to their versatility. If one had to categorize it…

‘They prefer expensive weapons, don’t they?’

Each race has different physical traits, which naturally leads to differences in martial arts and tactics. Non-human races have continuously studied ways to counter human martial arts, dreaming of revenge. In contrast, humans know nothing about their tactics and martial arts.

This was the result.

“Aaaargh!”

“Ahhh!”

Every time an orc warrior swung his sword, the knights screamed. The enormous weapons, empowered by Spirits Weapon, flew through the air on their own and struck down enemies.

“It’s a cursed sword!”

“Help!”

The soldiers panicked and ran in all directions. The knights, too, were stunned by the bizarre sight of swords flying autonomously. They fell helplessly, never having encountered such tactics before.

Sillan, who was watching the situation unfold next to Repenhardt, tilted his head in confusion. Despite the dire situation, it was baffling to see over three hundred knights being so easily overwhelmed by a hundred orc warriors.

“I know orc warriors are strong… but isn’t the Fernando Knights Order among the most elite? How can there be such a disparity?”

“They don’t know,” Repenhardt said, clicking his tongue. He continued, “They know nothing about the tactics and skills of non-human races. The Fernando Knights Order might be elite, but they’re unprepared for this kind of warfare. Orcs use brute strength and intimidation, which is very different from the disciplined combat the knights are used to.”

Sillan nodded, starting to understand. The orc warriors, using their Spirits Weapons, were not just fighting with physical force but also with psychological warfare. The knights, despite their training and skill, were caught off guard and demoralized by these unexpected tactics.

“Actually, Spirits Weapon has many flaws if you look closely. Even now, if they respond calmly, it’s not something they can’t handle. They still have the numbers. They just need to form ranks, have one side deal with the flying swords, and the rest handle the orcs.”

But in the midst of battle, no one would think of such a strategy. If they had even basic knowledge about the orcs, they could respond adequately…

“Ignorance is truly frightening.”

Seeing Repenhardt’s bitter smile, Sillan felt a mix of emotions. Despite his deep goodwill toward the non-human races, he was still human. Watching humans be foolishly defeated by other races, even if they were the enemy, was unpleasant.

Noticing this, Repenhardt gently patted Sillan’s head and spoke softly.

“This world didn’t just make non-human races foolish. Humanity has also become foolish. That’s why I want to change the world. I want everyone to realize that acknowledging those different from oneself ultimately benefits oneself.”

It was an arrogant statement, but Sillan, witnessing the scene before him, couldn’t help but agree. Suddenly, Repenhardt chuckled and asked.

“It’s not pleasant to see humans dying before your eyes, is it?”

“Well, it’s natural. I’m human too.”

“But don’t forget. Elves, dwarves, orcs—though they are different races, they are the same ‘people’ as humans.”

Anyone else might have been confused. In this era, the word “people” is synonymous with “human.”

But having met many non-human races, Sillan understood Repenhardt’s words.

If beings with reason, intelligence, emotions, who can feel joy, sorrow, happiness, and anger are considered people…

Elves, dwarves, orcs—they are all people.

Sillan nodded with an understanding expression. The carnage before him was indeed horrific, but he was no naive youngster unaware of reality. Repenhardt spoke with a solemn voice.

“They are fighting to live as people. This is that kind of war. And they have the right to shed that blood. The blood they have spilled over the years amounts to hundreds, thousands of times more than this!”