Easygoing Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord

A raging wall of flame scorched my soldiers, and the enemy troops, fueled by that very fire, charged forward.

The transition from defense to offense was astonishingly swift, clearly anticipating the flame magic.

“...The guardians of Scuderia have appeared,” I muttered, quickly giving orders.

“Everything is proceeding as planned. Issue commands immediately. Calmly throw the Black Orbs.”

“Yes, sir!”

At my words, the messenger hurried toward the front lines.

After a while, the shockwaves and explosions echoed from the front, and I couldn’t help but smirk.

Black Orbs.

A powerful new weapon that completely transformed the life of our small northern kingdom, which had long been exploited.

Though few in number, when used sparingly in crucial battles, they produce astonishing battle achievements. By obtaining this new weapon, our kingdom—long subjected to hardships—was finally able to launch the long-awaited invasion of Scudetto.

Even those who couldn’t fight as mages could achieve greater results with the Black Orbs.

Our soldiers kept their distance as if fleeing, tossing the Black Orbs. Just by doing that, the knights of Marquis Fertio steadily dwindled in number.

Unable to respond effectively, the cautious enemy soldiers halted.

“...Now. This is the perfect opportunity. Give the signal. Don’t miss it.”

I said this, and my deputy made a signal toward the sky. Three small pillars of flame shot up, and the Wyverns circling overhead slowed their speed and altitude, scattering Black Orbs.

There was no way the enemy could react in time.

The enemy soldiers concentrated below were blown away by the exploding Black Orbs raining from above.

One explosion after another echoed, rapidly shattering the enemy’s formation.

“...Wonderful. Better results than I imagined. To have gone this smoothly,” I said, shaking my shoulders in laughter and brushing my emerald hair back.

The key to this battle was the fall of the fortress city, Fortress City Scudet. The two nearby towns and three villages had been cut off to sever supplies to Scudetto, but judging by this, it was probably unnecessary.

The battalions that had been holding defense in Scudetto seemed to have started withdrawing. The defensive forces were thinning as they moved to secure retreat routes.

The city walls were partially collapsed from the impact of the Black Orbs dropped from the sky, and my knights had begun entering the fortress city.

Finally, the time had come to achieve the conquest of Scudetto, my long-cherished ambition.

As the Third Prince of Yelinetta Kingdom and commander of the kingdom’s Second Knight Order, I had endured many bitter defeats.

“Knights and citizens fleeing are dull, but pursuit is the flower of war. Drop Black Orbs ahead of their escape route with the Wyverns, and strike from behind with swords. Let’s teach them what total defeat means.”

Laughing, I looked at the fortress city, where citizens and soldiers were now emerging.

Messengers dashed off to relay orders.

The front lines were retreating while throwing Black Orbs. It would take some time to reorganize for the pursuit, but with the enemy burdened by civilians, their movements were sluggish.

“...Don’t rush; organize your formation. An opportunity like this will never come again. In this battle, we will take the head of Marquis Fertio.”

I said this, controlling my own eagerness while checking the battle situation.

Because flame magic was confirmed, the Wyverns were kept waiting atop the city walls, but once the pursuit began, they could circle back to the enemy front and use the Black Orbs again.

Half of our Black Orbs remained, which was more than enough.

“They’re completely trapped. Taking Scudetto means we've essentially secured this entire region. If we hold the defense for three months to strengthen our base and then seize the next one from here...”

Dreaming of a brilliant future, I confirmed my knights’ formation and nodded.

“Now, annihilation battle! Pursue them! Don’t spare soldiers or civilians! Kill them all!”