Chapter Seventy-Five: "Do You Want to Learn?"

On the right flank, the squad of heavy cavalry led by Soxia charged madly from the side, their wedge-shaped formation slicing brutally into the mass of Odin men from the flank. The galloping warhorses were clad in thick armor, the riders themselves encased in heavy mail, hooves pounding and kicking up dust. Their overwhelming momentum, combined with the horses’ raw strength, smashed into the dense throng of Odin warriors, instantly gouging a breach in their ranks.

The force of the heavy cavalry’s charge was like thunder rolling across the field. The foremost riders effortlessly sent those blocking their way flying. With spears tightly gripped and bodies pressed low, they did not need to swing their weapons; the sheer force of the charge alone tore the Odin men before them to shreds.

In the blink of an eye, the Odin warriors were pierced through by the heavy cavalry—like a blazing hot blade thrust into butter.

On the left wing, Adric himself led a troop of lightly armored cavalry wielding war hammers. Galloping along the edge of the battlefield, they looped wide, then swung into the fray, crashing into the outer ranks of the Odin host. Though not clad in heavy armor, the looser formations of Odin men on the perimeter were easily penetrated by the cavalry’s momentum. The riders struck with their hammers, leveraging their height and speed to crush heads and send foes tumbling. Soon, the battlefield was awash with blood.

The two flanking cavalry forces moved like the jaws of a vise, clamping down from both sides and pulverizing the Odin masses.

These Odin men were clearly not the elite troops of the Odin Empire. Though they possessed the ferocity innate to their people, they lacked the courage to fight on when the tide turned against them. Once both flanks were breached, their formation collapsed into chaos.

The heavy cavalry tore through the center, shattering their lines, while Adric’s light cavalry hunted the scattered fugitives on the outskirts with relentless ferocity.

In less than an hour, the Odin host had utterly disintegrated, broken by the flanking cavalry. As the first Odin man began to retreat, a second followed, then a third… a tenth, a hundred…

Hooves trampled Odin bodies into pulp; flesh and blood splattered everywhere. The battlefield was littered with the mangled corpses of the fallen.

Compared to the piercing force of the heavy cavalry, Adric’s personally led light cavalry proved more agile and mobile. They swiftly changed formation, slicing away layer after layer of the already disordered Odin lines. Where the cavalry passed, cries of agony remained.

Once defeat took root, it became unstoppable. Just as they charged with wild abandon, the Odin troops retreated in frenzied waves, chaotic as a tide flowing away. General Adric and his cavalry swept across the field, harvesting countless Odin lives, even nearly reaching the mouth of the valley before arrows raining down from the slopes forced them back.

Watching the remnants of the Odin army retreat into the valley, Adric refused to pursue, wisely restraining his men. He brazenly rode his cavalry across the valley entrance, then turned back under a sparse hail of arrows.

On the battlefield, the Odin left behind at least two thousand corpses, and no fewer than three to five hundred wounded.

On a distant slope, Kokoran stood beneath a great cloak, coldly observing the carnage and cries below. His expression was unmoved, as if the slaughter touched him not at all; even his gaze was icy.

This noble prince of the Odin people watched as Adric’s cavalry withdrew, and only then did he sigh quietly, almost as if nothing had happened.

“Ah... It seems only cavalry can match cavalry. If only His Majesty, my illustrious father, would let me command a regiment as elite as that fellow Hastings’s, I too could crush this Byzantine iron army. But now…”

He turned away from the battlefield, his lips curling into a sly smile. “Now… luckily, I need not lead this motley force against Adric. Hmph… the Byzantine Lion? Let Hastings handle that.”

***

On the battlefield, the Byzantine soldiers slew the last Odin warrior. They raised their weapons in triumph, pounding their shields and shouting for joy.

Adric returned, still astride his mount, and turned to gaze at the distant valley for a long moment.

“General, these Odin men were utterly worthless, nothing compared to Hastings’s troops,” Soxia said, approaching Adric. He was covered in blood, hunks of flesh clinging to his shoulder, his beard stained crimson. He breathed heavily, eyes alive with excitement.

As Adric remained silent, staring intently at the valley, Soxia could not restrain himself and cried out, “Let’s charge in! These Odin fighters are no match for us—”

Adric finally tore his gaze away, fixing Soxia with a commanding glare that instantly silenced him.

“Form up… We… withdraw ten miles!”

“What?!” Soxia was stunned, protesting loudly. “Why? We’ve chased these Odin pups back to the valley, now we—”

Adric sneered, pointing at the valley entrance. “Do you see? Don’t you think that mouth looks like a trap waiting for us to walk into?”

He shook his head firmly. “We pull back! The narrow terrain of the valley is a deathtrap for cavalry. Don’t forget how Butler was caught before! Today’s Odin force was clearly sent to test us, to die. Their strongest beast-soul warriors haven’t appeared. If they had, do you think victory would come so easily?”

Soxia bit his lip.

“Withdraw ten miles! Let’s see if they dare come out. As long as we’re outside the valley, on open ground, the Rodria cavalry fears no opponent.” His gaze swept Soxia with authority. “Execute the order!”

(The Odin men inside will likely not come out… This battle was only to boost our morale, and show them that we’re not so easily bullied. This was but the first probing strike; the true contest is yet to come. But… if this Odin army remains within… then their purpose must be…)

Adric’s brow furrowed, a glint flashing in his eyes.

“Send for the messenger!”

***

Hundreds of miles from the battlefield, in a tent, Shaya gripped the fire fork, pressing it firmly against the blood-red crystal.

Truth be told, the bumpkin was uneasy—A dragon! This was a dragon!

If this dragon truly wasn’t dead… well, the enmity between them was grave indeed! Skinning, tendon-stripping, and bloodletting baths…

Most crucially, Shaya remembered all too well the power the dragon had once displayed. If it was still alive and sought revenge, no matter how confident Shaya was, he could not be so arrogant as to think he could single-handedly face a dragon.

He clutched the fire fork, eyes locked on the stone, determined to destroy it at the first sign of trouble, no matter how the dragon hid itself.

At last, the cold voice echoed in his mind again, tinged with disdain.

“Hmph, lowly creature, how could you possibly grasp the true mystery of higher life?”

Shaya’s thoughts raced. His eyes flickered, and he forced himself to laugh loudly. “Ha ha ha! So what if you’re that dragon? You’ve already been killed! You’re just a soul now, aren’t you? I wasn’t afraid of you alive, and dead, I won’t fear a ghost!”

He seized the crystal, fire fork poised, and snarled, “Speak! What sinister purpose brings you to haunt me? Oh, right! You hid yourself in this stone to escape, didn’t you? Hmph! Don’t think you’ll scare me! I’ve heard some magic crystals can house souls for a while, but if the gem is destroyed, the soul loses its anchor and soon dissipates!”

After a moment’s silence, the voice in his mind spoke slowly.

“You can kill me… but don’t you wish to learn the ‘Crimson Killing Aura’?”

The words stunned Shaya; his grip on the fire fork loosened involuntarily. “You… you know the Crimson Killing Aura?”

“…I don’t,” the voice replied.

The bumpkin was furious. He glared, spat fiercely. “Damn it! You dare toy with me? I hate being played for a fool!”

He steeled himself, raising the fire fork to smash the stone. Though it was a pity to destroy such a wondrous gem, the enmity between him and the dragon was too deep; who knew if the creature might regain its strength inside? Better to eliminate the threat outright.

But just as the fire fork fell, the cold voice rang out in his mind.

“I may not know it, but I can teach you.”