Chapter 629: After the Decisive Battle
The clamor outside the tent was what finally roused Nail.
He turned his head from the ground, where he had been lying in a daze, and saw the heavy curtain lift at one corner. Iron Axe bent through the gap.
Nail pushed himself upright and saluted. “Your—Your Excellency.”
“At ease.” Iron Axe crossed to his bedside and sat down, crossing one leg over the other with the deliberate ease of a man who has learned to show calm when he doesn’t feel it. “How’s the injury?”
Nail touched his swollen cheek. “Two teeth. That’s all.” He paused. “I’m not badly hurt.”
“Good.” Iron Axe nodded slowly. “Nana Pine has been occupied with worse cases since the battle. Since yours is minor, you’ll recover on your own. When the rescue work is finished, go see Sir Pine about the teeth—the First Army will cover it.”
“I understand. There’s no reason to bother her for something this small.” Nail hesitated. “What about Hound? Is he—”
He remembered it clearly: the moment the other soldier had turned, grabbed a teammate’s spear, and brought the butt down across Nail’s face. He remembered seeing a gun raised toward Hound immediately after.
“He’s fine,” Iron Axe said. “The guards pulled him down the second he raised his weapon. It was the pure witch’s ability—he had no control over what he did. No punishment. He’s back with his unit.”
“Really.” Nail exhaled. “I thought I was going to die in that moment. What happened to the rest of the machine gun teams?”
The defensive arrangement had been thorough: two machine gun teams per bunker, a five-man guard platoon at each position. Every team member not involved in direct operation had worn a God’s Stone of Retaliation. It had seemed comprehensive.
“These things happen,” Iron Axe said, hands spreading slightly. “But it didn’t cause serious harm—otherwise we wouldn’t be here having this conversation.”
“Was the church driven back?” Nail caught himself. “Sorry. That’s a stupid question. I want to know what happened after I lost consciousness.”
“The enemy made their final charge and failed to cross the fourth trench.” Iron Axe’s voice stayed level, reporting rather than exulting. “Both the God’s Punishment Army and the Judgement Army were routed. They left more than two thousand dead in front of our position and fled. We won.”
What struck Nail was the tone. No triumph in it. Just the words.
Iron Axe offered no explanation, and Nail did not press. The silence stretched.
Finally, Iron Axe clapped him on the shoulder and stood. “Rest. I have other wounded to visit.”
“Your Excellency.” Nail found his voice before the other man reached the curtain. “I want to leave the First Army.”
Iron Axe turned. “Why?”
Nail stared at the ground. Every time he closed his eyes he saw the girl in the red robe—the one who had been crawling, who had stopped before he could make himself fire. “I don’t think I can be a machine gunner anymore. When the target was in front of me, I hesitated. I couldn’t do it fast enough.”
“Your target was an underage pure witch,” Iron Axe said. “Your team put it in their postwar report. I won’t tell you your instinct was correct—but I won’t tell you it was wrong either.” He was quiet for a moment. “One question: are you going to betray His Majesty?”
“No. Never. My life belongs to His Majesty.”
“Then I’m not approving the request.” Iron Axe’s voice took on a different weight—the kind that doesn’t invite argument. “This is the most critical moment the First Army has faced, and it will remain so for some time. I need every soldier at his post, guarding His Majesty Roland Wimbledon at whatever cost. If you can’t work a machine gun, you’ll be an observer or a guard. But you are not leaving. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Your Excellency.” Nail saluted.
Iron Axe left without another word.
Nail sat in the quiet of the tent and turned the commander’s words over in his mind. The most critical moment. Guard His Majesty at whatever cost. But they had won. The church had been defeated. The enemy was fleeing.
Unless His Majesty—
The thought arrived fully formed and hit him like cold water.
Did something happen to him during the battle?
“How does it stand?” Calvin Kant stopped in the doorway of his daughter’s bedroom and watched her sort through a pile of dresses.
“The First Army and the witches have sealed the castle,” Edith said, not looking up. “Even I can’t get in.” She curled her lip slightly. “But if he had recovered, word would have leaked by now. So I assume he’s still the same as before.”
“And your plans? Are you prepared for a long journey?” The Duke picked up a black gown from the pile on the bed and held it at arm’s length. “This seems somewhat revealing.”
“I wasn’t going to pack that one. You gave it to me—you intended me to wear it to one of Timothy’s dinner parties.”
“Ah. Yes.” He set it down with quiet embarrassment. “Do you think His Majesty’s forces will withdraw to Neverwinter?”
“Probably.” Edith pressed a stack of coats into the open suitcase. “The church has been completely defeated, but the First Army burned through most of its supplies in the battle. The Adviser Department will need roughly a month to rebuild operational capacity. If His Majesty is conscious, there’s no reason not to remain in the Northern Region for a while. If he isn’t—” she didn’t soften it— “no one can guarantee the army’s morale. Under those conditions, Iron Axe would never risk pressing toward Holy City. Where they go next isn’t hard to deduce.”
“You’re certain you want to follow them?” Her father’s voice had a father’s concern in it. “If something terrible has happened to His Majesty—if the kingdom falls into civil strife—the Northern Region would be safer for you.”
“Which is exactly why I’m going to Neverwinter.” Edith straightened and pulled her long hair back over her shoulder. “What has been built there is the kingdom’s new center of gravity—whether Roland is conscious or not. His coma is both a danger and an opening for the Kant family.”
Calvin drew a slow breath. “You mean to—”
“Your thinking is too blunt.” Edith closed the suitcase. “The only person who could replace Roland is his sister Tilly Wimbledon. She is the only one who can hold the bond between ordinary people and witches. But Tilly is a witch herself—when it comes to managing nobles, she will need support from someone the nobility trusts.” She paused. “That person is me. This is the shortest path to the pinnacle of power this kingdom offers. I don’t intend to miss it.”
Chapter 629: After the Decisive Battle
Translator: TransN Editor: TransN
There was clamor outside of the tent. Nail, who lay on the ground in a daze, turned his head to see that the thick curtain had been lifted by a corner and that His Excellency Iron Axe was bending down into the tent.
“Co-commander.” He had never expected that the commander of the First Army would come to visit him. He quickly sat up straight and saluted.
“No need for etiquette.” Iron Axe walked to his bedside and sat down, crossing his legs. “How’s your injury?”
“It doesn’t matter. Only two teeth were broken.” Nail touched his swollen cheek. “I’m not that hurt.”
“All right.” Iron Axe then added, “Miss Nana has been so busy these days that, and since your wound wasn’t too severe, you’ll be recovering on your own. When the rescue is over, you can inquire and see Baron Pine to repair your teeth, and the First Army will pay for it.”
“I can fully understand, and there’s no need to bother her with such a little injury. After all, Miss Nana is very tired…” Nail hesitated for a moment before continuing. “How about Hound? He…”
Hound was the one who had grabbed a teammate’s spear and hit Nail to the ground, stunning him with the butt. Nail could still remember the moment that the other side had aimed a gun at Hound.
“Don’t worry. He’s alright,” Iron Axe said to comfort him, “He was pulled down by the guards the moment the other side raised their gun. He attacked you because of the pure witch’s magic. So he won’t be punished and has returned to the team to train.”
“Really?…” Nail was a bit relieved. “I thought I was dead at that moment. What about the other teams?”
According to the arrangement before the war, each bunker had been arranged with two machine gun teams and a five-man guarding platoon. So, even if the enemies approached a bunker, they had the ability to defend on site. In addition to the two or three soldiers in charge of carrying ammunition on the team, all the others wore God’s Stones of Retaliation. The seemingly perfect action appeared flawless.
“These accidents happen,” Iron Axe said with his hands outstretched, “but, it didn’t cause much harm, or we wouldn’t be standing here.”
“Was the church forced back…?” The minute he asked, Nail realized that it was an idiot’s question. “Um, I want to know what happened after.”
“The enemies launched their final charge but failed to cross the fourth trench. Both the God’s Punishment Army and the Judgement Army were completely defeated, leaving more than two thousand bodies at the front of their position. They fled in haste… We won the battle.”
What confused Nail was that Iron Axe was not very excited, and instead, he said all this in a neutral tone. Iron Axe did not offer the reason, and Nail was not bold enough to ask.
Then there was a long silence.
After a long while, Iron Axe sighed and clapped him on the shoulder. “Since you’re alright, have a good rest, and I’ll go visit the other wounded guys.”
Seeing that Iron Axe was about to leave, Nail gathered his courage and stopped him. “Your Excellency…”
“What’s up?”
“I, I want to leave the First Army.” He whispered.
Iron Axe frowned. “Why?”
“Maybe, I can’t be a machine gunner anymore.” Nail lowered his head in shame. Every time he closed his eyes, he would see the scene where that young woman in the red cape was sprayed by a machine gun. “I wasn’t able to immediately shoot at the enemy…”
“Your target was an underaged pure witch, right?” Iron Axe interrupted him. “Your team already reported that to me in their postwar summary. I don’t think that your idea is correct, but it can’t be wrong. So, I’ll just ask you one thing, are you going to betray His Majesty?”
“No! Your Excellency, of course not.” Nail quickly denied. “My life belongs to His Majesty.”
“So, I’m not going to approve your request,” Iron Axe said without hesitation, “This is currently the most critical moment for the First Army and even City of Neverwinter. I demand that everyone in the army abide by his duty and guard His Majesty Roland Wimbledon at all cost. And, we have to spare no effort to do it! You can’t be a gunner. Well, you can be an observer or a protector, but you’re absolutely not allowed to leave the army, understand?”
That last sentence from the commander was in an authoritative tone.
“Ye-yes! Your Excellency!” Nail said, punctuating with a military salute.
“That’s all.” After Iron Axe left, without looking back, Nail felt deeply startled.
“Were we not victorious? Why is the most critical moment now? And, why did His Excellency Iron Axe so solemnly command the First Army to protect His Majesty Roland at all cost…” A terrible thought suddenly occurred to him. “Did his? Did his majesty have an accident during the battle?”
As soon as he thought this, he shuddered.
“How’s it going?” Calvin Kant walked into his daughter’s bedroom to see that she was picking up clothes.
“The First Army and the witches have surrounded the castle tightly, and even I can’t get in.” Edith curled her lip. “But, if he gets better, the news will leak, so… I guess, he was the same as before.”
“What about you? Are you ready for a long journey?” Duke Calvin Kant picked up a black veil evening dress from a mountain of dresses on the bed and looked at it carefully. “Is this one too revealing?”
Edith rolled her eyes. “I didn’t say that I was going to pick it, and wasn’t that a gift from you? At the time, you intended to let me wear it to attend Timothy’s dinner party.”
“Ahem… really.” Calvin put down the gown sheepishly. “Do you think that His Majesty’s troops will withdraw to City of Neverwinter?”
“Probably.” Edith stuffed several coats into the open suitcase. “Although the church has been totally defeated, much of the First Army’s supply was consumed. Adviser’s Department will take about a month to regain operational ability. If His Majesty Roland is fine, there’s no reason for him not to stay in the Northern Region for a while. But, if he’s unconscious, no one can guarantee the overall morale. Under this condition, Iron Axe absolutely wouldn’t dare to continue attacking Holy City, so what he’ll do shouldn’t be difficult to guess. ”
“Are you determined to follow them back?” Calvin asked with concern, “If something terrible happens… to His Majesty, the kingdom may fall into civil strife, so it’ll be safer for you to stay in the Northern Region.”
“That’s why I’m going to City of Neverwinter.” Edith stood up and slipped her long hair over her shoulder and onto her back. “It has become the new starting point for the kingdom there—whether Roland is there or not makes no difference. And, his coma presents both a challenge and an opportunity for the Kant family.”
Duke Calvin Kant could not help inhaling a cold breath. “Are you going to…”
“Your thoughts are too simple.” Edith shrugged. “The only one who can replace Roland is his sister Tilly Wimbledon, and I’m afraid that no one can connect the ordinary people with the witches except her. But, there’s the problem that she’s also a witch herself, so when dealing with the affairs of nobles, she needs greater help from the ordinary people.” She paused. “That person will undoubtedly be me. Dad, this is the best shortcut to climb that pinnacle of power and I don’t want to miss it.”