Published: January 15, 2026
【Jarpa】
This is the worst. Just recently, thanks to those idiots, I made a ridiculous blunder in front of His Majesty. At the time, I thought today must be the worst day of my life.
But apparently, that was nothing serious.
There is no doubt that this moment right now is the absolute worst point in my life.
"Your Excellency...! As expected, they were lying in wait!"
"Surprisingly fond of conventional tactics, you weaklings...!"
We charged, slipping through attacks from both sides. Of course, we knew the enemy would be waiting further ahead.
In the strategy meeting conducted just before, we predicted they would be lying in wait at the narrow sections of the highway, or block our path by collapsing it and showering us with arrows from both sides. Either way, the final blow would be delivered with cannon fire.
From Shelvia’s perspective, letting us advance all the way to the fortress city would make predicting enemy movements difficult. If possible, they’d want to confine us in a cramped environment where we can’t choose formations and then blast us apart with their cannons.
So, we planned to halt just before the likely ambush point, then burn the front and both flanks. Both Targa and I can use magic while mounted, so if it goes well, we can attack them one-sidedly.
That was what I thought, but an unexpected situation occurred.
"...! Your Excellency, what lies ahead is neither a human wall nor a fort! It’s a dragon! Most likely a species of earth dragon!"
"Impossible...! A second one after the Scudetto...? Even now, a near total war rages at the border with the Yelinetta Kingdom, yet they’ve brought dragons to this Centena!?"
Is the enemy commander insane? Or does he have so many trump cards that he can afford to use several dragons?
No, now is not the time to ponder that.
"...Breath from a dragon in such a narrow space is no joke! Fall back for now! Lure them out here and surround them! Keep moving all the while! The enemy aims to stop our feet! If we stop, the cannons will...!?"
As I was shouting orders, an unpleasant sound suddenly reached my ears.
It was footsteps. The thunderous sound of a large number of troops moving. Not a thousand or two, but a massive charge approaching that likely reaches ten thousand.
"We’ve been outmaneuvered...! To think the cannons were a decoy...!"
Seeing the infantry-heavy army advancing, kicking up dust from both sides, I realized my assumptions were a fatal mistake.
My fire magic is far superior to cannons. Cannons only threaten us if we're caught off guard. That’s what I believed, but it turned out to be a bravado to hide my true feelings from myself.
After all, the cause of this failure unquestionably lies in my fear of the cannons’ threat.
In my mind, I was convinced the enemy would surely try to repel us with cannons.
Never did I expect such a classic pincer attack!
"Your Excellency! Our knight order will retreat to Centena! Is that acceptable?"
Stunned by this lethal tactical failure, I was brought back to my senses by Targa’s shout right before me. Seeing the frustration and irritation stained in his eyes, my thoughts began to resume.
"...Understood! We have no choice but to retreat! Those who can use magic, unleash it onto the human walls advancing from both sides! Taking out their vanguard will greatly slow their advance!"
"Yes!"
After giving that order, I turned my horse around while chanting magic. Stradale relayed commands during this time.
To buy time for our retreat, a barrage of arrows was unleashed. Shortly after, mid-level magic was cast towards the advancing enemy troops, followed by our stronger magic—advanced and large-scale spells.
Though fewer in number than the mid-level spells, their range was incomparable.
"Flare!"
With that word, I activated magic.
The gauntlet on my right arm, made of Fire Dragon Hide and Mithril, was engulfed in flames, writhing as if alive.
The fire roared fiercely, growing stronger as it surged towards the approaching soldiers.
The blazing ring of flame aimed to consume all life, reducing living beings to ashes and encircling the ground.