The Book Eating Magician (193+)

Chapter 223

Babarino Plains #2

The Babarino Plains was one of the most spacious areas in the Soldun Kingdom as well as a useless wasteland covered with weeds. The Soldun Kingdom was famous for their lack of farmland, so they had tried to cleanse the barren land for centuries. However, there were no visible results yet.

Apart from a few small hills, there was no curvature in the topography. The Barbarino Plains was such a place.

However, today, there was a new record for the land. It was because there were more people entering the plains today than there had been in the past hundreds of years.

There were soldiers armed from head to toe with steel and leather, while flags flapped in the faint breeze. The procession of the royal army and nobles army which numbered 80,000 people in total stretched out under the horizon.

The crown prince’s army which left Marquis Reista’s estate was on the right side, while Duke Cornwall and Marquis Fergana were on the left side. They were several kilometers apart, and the commanders looked at the formation of the other side.

“That old raccoon, he seems to have decided. He didn’t leave anything behind and will end it all here.”

“It seems he has emptied out everything.”

“That formation is… ‘Sword and Buckler.’ It is obvious he intends to push us step by step.”

‘Sword and Buckler’ was originally an expression referring to a weapon which was a combination of the sword and the shield. However, its meaning was slightly different as a combat formation. It was a tactic of separating two units from each other, one to stop the enemy’s vanguard and the other to pierce through the enemies who lost their momentum.

This was a classic but infrequently used method. However, Duke Cornwall pulled it out to use without hesitation. There was no need to explain his intentions.

‘Sword and Shield’ was a tactic which had been used since the ancient times on the premise of getting rid of the inefficient troops to stop the enemy’s vanguard.

Prince Elsid muttered with a frown, “A formation based on losing a significant number of troops… He really is only thinking about victory, that duke. He is already beyond obsession.”

A strategist could understand casting stones for victory. Dropping two stones in order to get three was a natural act for them. However, it was an unacceptable attitude as a ruler. The duke wasn’t planning to win efficiently. Instead, he wanted to throw away his followers?

“This is why we can’t lose this fight. Everyone, follow me until the end.”

Upon hearing Prince Elsid’s determined voice, Marquis Piris and the other subordinates in the area prostrated themselves on the ground.

“Your words are right, Your Highness!”

“We need to win for the people!”

“Until the end, Your Highness is Soldun’s king!”

Everyone here knew they were in a disadvantageous position. Even so, they didn’t hesitate to kneel. This was because they felt a sense of crisis and discomfort from Duke Cornwall. This unbearable person absolutely shouldn’t be king!

Each of them gathered under Elsid because they had similar thoughts. Duke Cornwall… If he were a better person, then today’s situation might be drastically different. Elsid was greatly happy with their replies and raised his right hand. However, it wasn’t just to secure visibility that he was on the hills.

“Good! Then we will surely get rid of those insurgents!”

It was because the people believed him. Setting aside strength and weakness, justice ought to win. After all this time, the people realized the ‘ruthless reality’, but embers of hope still burned within them. If a god really was watching them from the sky like the fanatics claimed, then Elsid couldn’t turn away from them.