I Will Surrender My Position as the Empress - Chapter 59
The ground trembled beneath the thunderous charge of the colossal warhorses. Even the menacing mass of monsters that had been pushing against the last line of defense hesitated and withdrew as they sensed the unstoppable momentum. Lionel and the officer-level knights quickly surveyed the battlefield. The creatures pouring out from the tower were overwhelming, including ogres visible only from the second-tier tower. Duke Desponé, the leader of the mage corps, had yet to arrive. The mage corps led by Lennox watched the situation from a distance.
“Henry, take the right flank! Lyl, you’re on the left! Lauren, go request support from the mages!”
Knights responded promptly to Lionel’s command. Their mission was clear: to clear a path for the mages to reach the tower. They advanced toward the tower like sharp spears piercing through the sea of dark creatures. Adele, who had been observing the mages from behind, turned her head to look at them. They remained calm, observing the situation from the rear. Adele clicked her tongue in frustration, turning her gaze away.
At that moment, a wyvern with sharp claws descended towards the advancing knights. Adele quickly controlled the magic around the wyvern, immobilizing it, then lifted it high into the sky before plunging it down to a point where the monsters below awaited. With a eerie roar, the wyvern and the dozens of monsters beneath it perished instantly. The knights, awestruck by the unbelievable sight, momentarily forgot to cheer. After a brief silence, Lionel, the first to regain composure, shouted loudly.
“Advance once more!”
Duke Desponé, arriving late, was also stunned by the scene. Meanwhile, the empress turned her body slowly to face the mages. Her gaze was so chilling that it could be felt even from a distance.
“Is it acceptable to lag behind like this? Even Her Majesty the Empress is supporting the knights. We cannot afford to be complacent!”
Alexa Brunhill, unable to contain her frustration, protested vehemently, but Duke Desponé raised his voice in response.
“Quiet! We will proceed as usual!”
At that moment, the 1st and 2nd Guards continued to advance towards the tower without hesitation. Despite the increasing casualties, they held their formation steadfastly, confronting the monsters. Lionel, in the chaotic battlefield, continued to survey the knights’ positions and adjust them accordingly. The endurance of the Guards, which had persisted for so long, was due to Lionel’s exceptional tactical skills. In the midst of the chaotic battle, the knights unwaveringly followed Lionel’s orders with absolute trust. Despite the considerable time that had passed since the start of the battle, the mages remained unresponsive. Even with the continuous support of the Empress, who tirelessly poured her magic towards the monsters. Unable to endure any longer, Adele rushed towards Duke Desponé.
“Duke Desponé! What good is just watching? Why isn’t a single mage supporting the knights?!”
“What are you saying, Your Majesty the Empress? We are each doing our part! Once the knights open the path, we will not hesitate to charge!” Duke Desponé retorted.
“Wyverns, ogres, werewolves, and weredogs are all writhing in agony. How can you say the knights are the only ones shedding blood to clear the way?” Adele questioned.
“I don’t know how they destroyed the tower in Gottrov! Echmont has its own ways!” Duke Desponé defended.
At that moment, a knight escorting Adele urgently called her. When she turned, she saw a horde of ogres charging towards the knights advancing towards the tower. Even the well-trained warhorses began to falter as the massive creatures, approximately 3 meters tall, rushed forward. Sensing the imminent collapse of their formation, Lionel quickly gave orders.
“Henry! Deal with the ogres with the 2nd Group, 1st Squad! Everyone else, move to the right!”
As Henri Jackal’s squad aimed their weapons at the ogres, the rest of the group retreated, tidying up their formation. Lionel’s gaze twisted painfully. It was a choice to prevent total annihilation, but the sacrifice of the knights who had stepped forward was painfully obvious. Henri Jackal’s 2nd Group, 1st Squad, took a deep breath as if suppressing the pounding in their chests. With firm eyes, they ignored the reins pulling them back, and in their line of sight, families passed by in a blur.
“Each has its own ways, discard that talk!” The Empress exploded upon witnessing the scene.
“What kind of ways are these? It’s clear you’ve never truly tried to destroy the tower and the monsters!” Her relentless criticism made Duke Desponé’s eyes flare up. “How dare you?!” But before he could respond, the Empress turned and charged towards the front lines.
“Empress! Please, restrain yourself, it’s dangerous!”
Her accompanying knights tried to stop her, but the Empress forcefully thrust her amplified sword into the ground and responded, “Watch! Learn how mages and knights should fight together!”
In an instant, she leaped over the defensive line, heading towards the approaching ogre horde. “Empress, it’s dangerous!,” the concerned knights called after her, but the Empress bellowed, “Protect me!”
After giving orders to the remaining knights, Adele took a deep breath. It would be a tough road ahead after this, but it was unavoidable. Apparently, Duke Desponé was determined to stick to the old and outdated ways. And for Adele to stand against the Emperor and grow stronger, she had to assert herself on this journey. The flow of magic, previously dispersed like air, rapidly converged towards Adele. Like water being sucked from above to below, the magic drawn to her anchored sword moved towards the ground. Around her, the currents swirled, and a strong wind blew. The magic permeating the ground through the enchanted sword followed Adele’s will, rushing towards the monsters. Simultaneously, it extended from the ground, attaching itself to the flowing magic. The ogre horde charging towards Henri Jackal and the knights, influenced by Adele’s magic, collectively stumbled forward. In disbelief, as the knights raised their eyes to the astonishing sight, a knight who had rushed forward upon hearing Adele’s command shouted loudly from behind.
“Your Majesty the Empress has ordered us to kill the monsters while she holds them! Open the way!”
Even without the help of mages, under Lionel’s command, the elite knights who had already advanced more than half could not afford to miss this opportunity.
“1st Group, forward!! 2nd Group, 2nd Squad, deal with the ogres together!! The rest, guard the rear!”
Lionel quickly assessed the situation and issued optimal orders. The knights, as if they had been waiting for this, wielded their swords towards the vulnerable spots of the restrained monsters. In no time, the knights efficiently dispatched the monsters and charged towards the tower. The door leading to the tower opened in an instant.
“Your Majesty the Empress!”
The problem was Adele. Her once steadfast posture began to crumble. The hand that held the sword seemed to lean on it unconsciously.
“Your Majesty the Empress, are you okay?!”
The escorting knights looked concerned as they saw Adele, their feet fumbling around. Baroness Vuetta, who had been observing the situation, walked around Adele with a serious expression. Even Lionel, who was confronting the monsters at the forefront, turned around to look. The Empress was too far to be seen clearly. Cold sweat dripped down his back, and an ominous aura engulfed his heart. Fortunately, mages on horses were rushing along the path created by the knights. Lennox, despite his questionable character, was an outstanding striker. As soon as they reached the tower, the keepers controlled the tower’s magic, and led by Lennox, the strikers attacked the core of the tower. Soon, the tower was engulfed in white flames. Cheers erupted from various places. As the tower crumbled, the bodies of the dead monsters were also engulfed in white flames, and even the living ones turned into statues. Lennox confidently surveyed the surroundings and declared the end of the tower.
“The tower has been destroyed!”
“As expected of the Deputy Commander!”
When Lennox’s aides praised him, the knights turned their heads with cold expressions. Lionel, turning his body, shouted to the knights.
“Good job! Carry the wounded from each squad and attend to the casualties! Officers, follow me.”
While the lower-ranking knights attended to the wounded and the dead, the remaining knights and mages rode towards the Empress’s position. Lionel’s gaze was fixed on one point all along. He spurred his horse a bit more and swiftly approached. The closer he got to the Empress, the more restless his heart became. Her black hair flowed like a waterfall, obscuring her face. Leaning on the sword embedded in the ground, she was already halfway slouched. The knights guarding the Empress, who had been watching everything, gasped when they saw Deputy Commander Lionel running towards them.
“Your Majesty the Empress! It’s all over! Everyone is coming this way!”
Only then did the Empress’s shoulders, which had been motionless, twitch slightly. As she slowly stood up, revealing her pale face, even the knights of the Imperial Guard swallowed hard. Like a messenger from hell, the Empress looked straight ahead. Lennox and some mages, as if all this glory belonged to them, stood proudly at the forefront, struggling to control their horses.
“Can’t stand watching you lot take all the credit,” Adele muttered.
In the moment the tower crumbled, she wanted to collapse and lose consciousness. However, there was one reason Adele clung to consciousness with all her might. Gripping her trembling legs tightly and straightening her posture, Adele faced the sight of the Empress, who opened her eyes with a sickly pale face. The knights and mages who had rushed towards her froze, holding their breath. Lionel, urgently dismounting from his horse and running towards her, seemed to stretch out endlessly. Ignoring the darkening vision, Adele opened her mouth.
“I wanted to save everyone, but I’m sorry. Don’t wait any longer, rather, I should have…”
Though not spoken loudly, her words flowed through the ears of the knights and some mages, settling heavily in their hearts. Knights, with widened eyes as if something had pierced their minds, stared at the Empress while tightly clenching their lips. Suddenly, the Empress, with a furrowed brow, coughed violently.
“Cough, hack!”
Simultaneously, droplets of blood sprayed into the air, staining the air red.
“Your Majesty the Empress!”
As Adele’s body, now covered in blood, slowly crumbled like a limp doll, Lionel, who had rushed towards her, desperately pulled her into his arms just before she hit the ground.
