Chapter 36 : Black Moon -4
"May I ask the reason why you say so, Young Master?"
Larmus, who had been lost in thought for a moment, asked back in a cautious tone.
It was a clear fact that the war situation was unfolding favorably for the subjugation army.
Although he was said to have a mild personality for a knight, Larmus clearly had a desire for honor as a knight as well.
And this monster subjugation battle was a clear opportunity to elevate one's honor.
The one who cuts off the head of Ramon, the Pope of the Alcala Order, would be able to spread their fame brilliantly beyond Zodiac and throughout the northern part of the continent.
But since I was asking him to give up that opportunity, it was in a way natural for him to throw a question.
"I feel a suspicious sign. I cannot be certain, but I keep thinking that they are preparing something."
"Do you perhaps have physical evidence?"
"No. I do not have any physical evidence to present to you, Sir. However, I have a strong feeling that something is suspicious."
"Hmm……."
Larmus could not answer hastily, and watching him, I nodded.
In fact, it was not that there was no evidence that Alcala was preparing a hidden card.
The problem was just that the evidence existed only inside my head.
I could not possibly say, 'I know because I saw it all in my previous life, but those guys are preparing a large-scale curse.'
"Young Master, let me ask you one thing. Is the word you just said to me perhaps an order given in the name of Axion?"
"That is not it. Didn't I tell you? I said I am asking for a favor."
I shook my head at Larmus, who asked if it was an order issued by borrowing the authority of the Family Head.
Of course, I could have given an order.
But on a battlefield dominated by countless variables, completely controlling knights with 'borrowed authority' was an impossible task, so I chose a different method.
"I will do so, Young Master."
And Larmus responded to my expectation.
"In the all-out attack, I and the knight order where I can exert influence will wait in the rear."
"Thank you, Sir Larmus."
"Haha, for those who are bloodshot to set up merits anyway, they will rather like it if we say we are waiting in the rear. If we step back, the vanguard will become the share of the capital's knight orders and Harm."
I let out a sigh of relief and nodded.
With this, I had minimized the damage to the Reichart territory's forces excluding Harm, so I had practically put out the urgent fire.
"Actually, I was inwardly anxious even while delivering Axion to you, Young Master, under the Family Head's order. I thought that perhaps the Family Head was placing too big of a burden on you."
Larmus, who was continuing his words, stared blankly at me.
"But seeing your imposing appearance, Young Master, I think that the Family Head's judgment was indeed correct. It is truly a fortunate thing."
"You are overpraising me. I have only temporarily taken charge of my father's will, I am merely far too lacking to replace my father."
"Haha, to be this humble even. If Lady Sophia had seen this appearance…… I apologize, Young Master. This old man said something unnecessary. Please forgive me……."
Larmus, who had momentarily spoken the name 'Sophia', hurriedly waved his hand.
"It is alright, Sir Larmus."
"Haha, soldiers say that there is magical power in the moonlight of the battlefield that makes people drunk; I guess I must have aged as well."
Perhaps to shake off the embarrassment, Larmus trembled with a banter unlike his usual self.
I looked at the moonlight seeping through the gaps of the tent and said in a low voice.
"That is correct. It is truly a night that is hard to endure without being drunk."
***
"It has been decided to launch an all-out attack starting at midnight tonight."
The commanders of Zodiac, who heard the words of James who had returned from the supreme commander meeting, nodded.
That there would be an all-out attack before long was something they had already expected as well.
"So I hope you officers will make every effort in preparation together with your respective soldiers."
Of course, I, Hein Reichart, was not in this place.
Because I was in a situation where I was thoroughly excluded from all official operations by James.
"Then I will assign positions for each commander. Commander of the Alta Knight Order, Leonard! I order you to take the position of the left wing vanguard."
"I will receive your order! Commander-in-Chief!"
Troop deployments that seemed to have been decided in advance flowed out of James's mouth.
Like that, centering on the capital knight orders that James had led here, the spots good for establishing military merits were filled one by one.
"Sir Larmus, you and the Reichart Knight Order you led here shall take charge of the rear."
"Understood."
And as if it had been decided, the Reichart army was assigned a rear position that seemed to have absolutely no connection to military merits.
Of course, Harm, led by Helkane, was assigned the optimal position for establishing military merits.
"We have come a truly long way. But now it seems the end is in sight."
Perhaps to boost the morale of the commanders, a voice and words that did not suit him flowed out of James's mouth after he finished the troop deployment.
"Now, let us exert our strength until the end. Everything for the Zodiac!"
"For the Zodiac!"
Soon, heated shouts burst out from the mouths of the knights filling the tent.
***
"Watch closely! Tonight, I will take the head of that bishop bastard who looks like a rag. Then I get a special promotion immediately."
"Oh my. Hey, be careful not to hold me back while acting up. Since I will be the one getting the special promotion, you should just prepare to use formal language with me starting tomorrow."
Around that time dusk fell on the forest.
The expressions of the knights preparing for the all-out attack at midnight were full of composure.
Whether the repeated victories in numerous local battles had made them dull, it seemed that Alcala had established itself as an opportunity for promotion rather than fear in the hearts of the knights.
And at the rear tent, far away from the units in charge of the vanguard, the Haken members were watching this scene.
"Tsk, guys who are nothing are showing off."
"Leave them be. They need to get hurt badly to learn."
In fact, it was natural for them to feel this frustration.
Just at the beginning of the war, vitality overflowed on the faces of the members.
The order I gave was never easy, but the wolves of Haken felt alive for the first time in a while during that period.
However, after the full-scale monster subjugation battle proceeded, they became like a sack of borrowed barley.
It felt itchy just watching.
Just watching guys much weaker than themselves acting up as if they were something, it was no wonder they were venting like this.
"Tsk, I heard that guy named James or whatever who is like a rat completely marked our Captain?"
"Yeah. They say the Captain refused the order given by that guy with a single stroke."
Among the Haken Knight Order, the squad leader-level knights gathered together and were killing time sharing this and that story.
"I don't know. I don't know the details, but I still trust our Captain. He must have refused because he had some thought."
"Hey, who doesn't trust him? I trust him too. But being like this, it can't be helped that it's frustrating. And I probably trust the Captain more than you?"
"Don't make me laugh. Where are you comparing your shoddy faith?"
Around the time they were killing time weighing each other's faith like that,
"It is a grateful thing that you trust me that much."
"Ca, Captain!"
The protagonist of the trust revealed his appearance from behind the knights' backs with stealthy steps.
"Captain, what brings you here……."
"I am grateful for the trust, but why are you guys not making any preparations?"
The startled members were surprised and stood up from their seats.
Since no separate mission was given, the Haken members were dressed in light armor, not formal armament.
"Surely, do you intend to just joke around like now until the war ends?"
Only after hearing the light reprimand did the squad leaders examine my attire.
I had finished full armament to the extent that I could be deployed into all-out war right away.
"There isn't much time. Each squad leader returns to your tent immediately and have your squad members prepare for a sortie."
"We received your order, Captain!"
The squad leaders started moving the instant I gave the order.
There was no member asking the reason why they had to arm themselves when they hadn't received any mission.
The Haken Knight Order that had been abandoned answered with faith that was nothing but sincere to the lord who gave them a new life.
Toward the wolves who answered his order with a firm shout, I raised my hand and pointed to the spire soaring in the middle of the Alcala main camp.
"Now, everyone sees that over there, right?"
The name of that spire soaring as if to touch the sky right away while wrapped in a pitch-black outer wall was 'Alcalia'.
That place was the Alcala army's operation headquarters and also the highest temple where their Pope was staying.
Pointing at the spire, which was the symbol of Alcala and like the crystallization of the ambition they harbored, I spoke with a voice filled with conviction.
"We will turn that damn monstrosity over there into a pile of ashes at the dawn of tomorrow. Understood?"
***
Flutter.
The field where the black moon cast its shadow,
The first sound breaking the silence of the battlefield came from the left wing.
As the heavy armored cavalry among the forces of Nefam stood at the lead and started running, the rough breathing sounds of the horses snorting made the field fluctuate.
"Volmada, the whole army advance!"
A moment later, Volmada, who was in charge of the right wing, also started the march.
The forces of the allied army running from the left and right pressured the apostles of Alcala from both sides.
"ƁƝƺDŽdž."
As if responding to the sound of horse hooves, the gloomy incantations spat out by the apostles were heard from the other side of the field.
AWOOO-
At the same time, the corpses hiding underground revealed their appearances above ground.
"Haa!"
Clang!
Soon, the field was filled with the sounds of weapons clashing and the soldiers' spirited shouts.
Around the time the battle in both directions was ripening appropriately, Zodiac of the central army started the sortie.
"Warriors of Zodiac! For His Majesty!"
As Zodiac, which had preserved the most intact power among the allied army, participated in earnest, the war situation started to tilt rapidly toward the allied army side.
"Strength! Push them harder!"
"There isn't much left until the enemy's breath is cut off!"
The allied army pushed Alcala with the spirit of breaking bamboo.
Around the time one hour had passed since the battle commenced, the territory Alcala was occupying had decreased to less than half.
And watching this scene from the very top of Alcalia, Ramon finally opened his mouth.
"Prepare. We shall lower the Baptism of the Black Moon."
"Understood, Your Holiness!"
A moment later, Ramon and the 13 Archbishops assisting him stood in their respective designated positions and started reciting scriptures.
"ǧǬǰǭǯǽƚ."
As the voices of those reciting the scriptures grew louder, the black energy wrapping their bodies became one layer thicker.
The black energy, which was swelling up as if to burst right away, was sucked into the violet statue placed in the center as if drawn by something.
Woo-woo-woo-
With an ominous sound ringing out, the statue made of stone flashed its eyes open.
Red light vomited out from the statue's eyes, and black light from its mouth.
The red light and black light tangled together like that escaped out the window and struck the moon directly as they were.
SKREEEEEEEEEEEEECH!!
As the moon in the void let out a creeping scream, the Baptism of the Black Moon was scattered on the ground.
"Cough!"
And the soldiers directly hit by the claws wielded by the black moon vomited blood and started falling to the floor.