Chapter 136: (Self Edited) Running Messenger

*Tsuuuuu*The sound of the whistling arrow disappeared while leaving a trailing sound. This arrow wasn’t shot by Angie. It was shot from the north.

“Alright, fire.” (Angelica)

When Angie ordered so, her subordinates nodded, and put a whistling arrow on his longbow. He pulled the string, and released it.

A loud *tsu* sound was heard for a moment, and it disappeared with a snapping sound. The arrow broke when it hit a thick branch.

“What are you doing?” (Angie)

While unintentionally letting out a laugh, Angie scolded her subordinate.

“S-sorry.” (??)

He bowed his head in a hurry.

“There are four left. Calm down.” (Angie)

The subordinates fired again, and this time the whistling arrow brilliantly passed through the forest and let out a whistling sound.

After a while, she heard the sound of a whistling arrow from the main army led by Epitapth. The sound was the reply.

When the last whistling arrow was shot from her side toward the mountain, it would be ready.

Angie grabbed the saddle, stepped on the stirrup, and got on the horse without assistance. She only wore a light chainmail under her surcoat. She also wore a lightweight metal helmet and a thin cloth, which covered the nose, to conceal the fact that she was a woman on the battlefield.

Woman with surcoat

That was all she wore, and she was lighter than when she was wearing plate armor.

“We’re going to start marching. Stop the break.” (Angie)

“Understood… Break is over! Whole unit, get ready to move forward!” (??)

The adjutant gave a loud command and everyone started to move.

—

The enemy’s front line position was found by advancing the troops, and there was a simple barrier made of wood, but… it was a barrier that was just piled up with trees of various sizes. It was made only in shape, and there were no sharp tree branches protruding from it, so it could be easily overcome.

Quite far from their position, a thick white line was drawn crossing the road.

‘It may be some kind of landmark. Is it lime powder?’

“Move 50 steps forward.” (Angelica)

“Move 50 steps forward!” (??)

The adjutant shouted Angie’s command, and the army began to move. Then, a gunshot rang at the point where it wouldn’t hit the white line.

When she heard the shooting sound similar to thunder, she heard a brisk sound the next moment. The head of a soldier borrowed from the volunteering chivalric order popped and fell on the spot.

“Stop!” (Angelica)

When she issued the command loudly, the entire army stopped without waiting for the adjutant to repeat the command. From the view that Angie could see since she was on a horse, she saw that the frontline of the stopped soldiers was crouching down and taking care of the soldier.

The Knight who was just shot was elite. He got up while shaking his head. These soldiers weren’t wearing armor, but they wore helmets and chainmail.

The distance where the enemy shot to this point was a hundred steps. If the bullet hit the flesh, it would be a hit, but it wasn’t a distance that could penetrate the helmet. Unlike an arrow that flew in the air, a gun could shoot round gravel which had a remarkable deceleration at the initial speed.

It might be that the enemy stole the gun. In other words, it could be a spoil of war. They probably got it from the killed scouts.

“Hmm…” (Angelica)

“They’re not shooting.” (??)

It was Gustav Ordenant, the vice commander of this expedition, who said in a husky voice suitable for his old age. Gustav was a man who served during her father’s time, and he became a vassal of Angelica.

‘He said that means that they couldn’t shoot continuously. If they shoot continuously, they need to do something like an assault, but that’s not the case.’

‘Of course, we have guns as well. However, it is impossible to get closer and fight a shootout. Obviously, the barrier built by the enemy doesn’t allow bullets to go through. However, our side is exposed and we don’t have shields. This development is to make us tired out.’

‘Even so, the distance of a hundred steps is too far even for a shooting battle. The enemy could be only seen as small as a bean grain, and it’s impossible to aim at such a small target. It seems that it hit by chance a while ago, but in general, if the target is so far away, you just waste both bullets and gunpowder, and it will be an endless battle.’

If that was the case, in order to get over the barrier and cross the blade, all she should do was to give an assault order. However, that wasn’t the task entrusted to Angie.

Angie’s task wasn’t to fight the enemy here and defeat them. Her task was to assist the army led by Epitaph, that would assault them, and she would prevent the enemy from escaping. If she concentrated on them, there might be an unlikely event where the blondes escaped to the forest, and Angie would be short of hands.

No matter how much she could win, there was no point if the blondes escaped. Angie was here just in the case where the main army missed the essential target.

To put it simply, the best actions to take were to stop her army from moving forward, spread the army in the woods, and be ready while waiting for them to move. sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ ɴovᴇlꜰirᴇ.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

“Our army should spread to both flanks as we had discussed in the meeting. As for the Knights, don’t move and stay here.” (Angelica)

Angie attentively decided that her own army would spread to both flanks while leaving the borrowed soldiers to stay here.

—

*Tsuuu*.

Angelica heard the sound of a whistling arrow again.

“What was it just now? Gustav, did you hear that?” (Angelica)

Angie said in a slightly frustrated voice.

“No, I didn’t.” (Gustav)

Angie, who laid in wait in a sickle-like camp, was concerned about the sound of whistling arrow flying from the main army led by Epitaph.

During the meeting with Epitaph, there was no arrangement of making a signature with the number and type of whistling arrow, or the meaning of second whistling arrow. Even so, a whistling arrow sound rang out.

In other words, even if she heard the sound of it many times, she couldn’t understand the meaning at all. She thought that the communication wasn’t sufficient for the two to three arrows, so she thought to shoot more just in case, but in the last thirty minutes, the sound of a whistling arrow had been heard about ten times.

She felt something disturbing. However, it was unthinkable that Epitaph’s main army was in danger of something because of the difference in strength.

‘But I don’t know what would happen on a battlefield. That’s what Father said.’

‘It’s unthinkable for a thousand or two thousand cavalry to climb a steep slope and stab their back like a gale. The enemy has destroyed the bridge, but refused to retreat, so there might be such a chance.’

“I don’t know. Are they telling us that they are in crisis?” (Angelica)

The sound of the arrow alone didn’t tell her whether Epitaph’s army was in crisis or seeking reinforcements.

“I also don’t know. However, the enemy, who should come forward, doesn’t seem in a rush.” (Gustav)

That was what the vice commander, Gustav, said.

“It’s still too early. It hasn’t been long since Epitaph’s army was in charge.” (Angelica)

‘If the front line crumbles by force and the enemy rush in immediately, it wouldn’t be strange if the enemy rush in and there will be a series of collisions. But it’s not going to be easy to penetrate us. So, it’s not strange that the enemy hasn’t rushed in.’

“Indeed.” (Gustav)

Gustav had experienced various aspects of battle, and it looked like he immediately understood what Angie meant.

“What do you think?” (Angelica)

When she asked for an opinion…

“I can’t judge.” (Gustav)

Then, Gustav replied.

“I… see…” (Angelica)

At that moment, anxiety touched Angie’s mind. Although she had put a lot of lives on the scene of life and death, she wasn’t certain if she had made an accurate decision.

The correctness of the decision was left to luck. Unlike various decisions made in territorial management, failure here was irreversible.

It was her first experience with an overwhelming sense of reality.

“We only serve for no one’s life but yours, Angelica-sama. If we die as a result of your decision, no one will be dissatisfied.” (Gustav)

Gustav told her, probably because he could feel Angie’s feelings, as he was the only veteran.

“Is that so…?” (Angelica)

That was why she wanted to give the honor of victory before returning. However, victory was more or less in exchange for the sacrifice of human life.

“But, to be told to stop is…” (Gustav)

And when Angie was to reply…

“Messenger! Messenger—!” (??)

There was a messenger appearing from the forest while yelling out that.

—

When the man, who came out from the forest while screaming, his whole body could be seen. He was wearing pants but only underwear on his upper body. He had stripped away everything that got in the way of running, and he was probably running until now.

The messenger stopped when he saw Angie, and loosened his knee in an unbearable manner. He put his hand on the knee since he was almost collapsing, bent his hip to lower his head, and desperately held his breath.

“Haa, haa, haa…” (??)

“Wh-what is it? Calm down.” (Angelica)

Angie said.

“Haa… it’s from the Archbishop… now is…” (??)

The man was breathless and he was pointing straight to the left with one hand. There was a sudden barrier made by the enemy, which was still visible.

“Time to attack…” (??)

“What?” (Angelica)

“Haa… haa…” (??)

The man was out of breath.

‘He’s turning pale. Is he going to faint?’

“I know you’re tired, but I need to ask you for a bit more details. What happened?” (Angelica)

“Haa… ooh…” (??)

The man started vomiting on the spot. The food that seemed to have been put in the stomach before the battle became filth and fell to his feet.

‘He probably ran through the forest beyond limits.’

His underwear was dirty with sweat and mud and some torn skin was bleeding, probably because he fell on the way many times.

The man wiped the vomit on his mouth with the back of his hand.

“P-please excuse…” (??)

“It’s fine. You’re on a mission after all.” (Angelica)

“…The Archbishop said that it was a fraud. The enemy is still crossing the bridge and he is telling you to attack immediately.” (??)

Angie felt as if there was a cold blade stuck at her neck. Anger filled her head because of the scout’s incompetence. What came after that was the ability to think calmly to clear the doubts.

‘No, it must be true that the bridge was on fire. The scouts of the Papal States wouldn’t make a mistake. There’s no possibility that they were lying on the enemy side, and deliberately misreporting. No, there’s no way to think of that.’

“There was no enemy. Standing there on the barrier is the enemy’s observation unit. They just changed their armor…” (??)

Angie turned her head and looked at the barrier she was facing. Over there, there were figures moving.

‘Unless they are zombies moved by voodoo, there’s no way that those are dummies.’

“Thank you for the hard work. If you don’t have another order, you can rest as it is.” (Angelica)

Angie showed appreciation to the man.

“There’s an important order from the Archbishop!! We need to move forward from now on!!” (Angelica)

While slowly turning her horse around, she raised her voice. Then, she pulled her sword and pointed to the end of the road, to penetrate them through.

“Forward!!” (Angelica)

—

When she tried to kick the horse’s belly with the stirrup to move the horse… She was grabbed on the leg, and got stopped.

“Hime-sama, please wait!” (Gustav)

Gustav said.

“What is it!?” (Angelica)

Angie held her horse back.

“On top of that small group, they have guns! In addition to that, you have left your armor behind!” (Gustav)

Certainly, apart from her sheer metal helmet, she only wore fine chainmail under her surcoat. Half of the face was covered with a black cloth to conceal the fact that she was a woman, but unlike the steel faceguard, it didn’t provide protection. In this march, everyone except Epitaph left thick plate armor on the ship.

“The only person riding a horse is you, Hime-sama! It’s too dangerous.” (Gustav)

Horses were relatively unsuitable for traveling through the forest, so the cavalry hadn’t arrived yet from the main army. In other words, in this separate army, only Anger was on the horseback, which was higher than anyone else.

“I don’t mind!” (Angelica)

“Then, please refrain from going to the front line at least!” (Gustav)

“Ugh–” (Angelica)

She wanted to say ‘Shut up, you’re noisy’. But then, she realized that Gustav’s remarks made sense and held it back in her throat.

—

TLN;

Special thanks to the pic’s owner.